Re-Imaginings – with composer, Paul Cutlan

Composer and horn player, Paul Cutlan, is very well known to Australian jazz audiences and has a growing reputation as a composer. Paul has previously performed with and composed for viols when he worked Jenny Eriksson and the “Seaven Teares” viol consort in 2012. Jenny has commissioned him to compose a new piece for “Re-Imaginings”, the last concert in The Marais Project’s 2014 concert series.

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Philip Pogson: Paul, this is the second time you have written for Jenny Eriksson and the viol family.  What keeps drawing you back?

Paul Cutlan : I feel honoured whenever someone asks me to create music for them, so when Jenny asked me to write another piece I found the invitation irresistible. I’ve really enjoyed going deeper into the character, technique and sound of the viola da gamba. I’ve found inspiration in the textures of Baroque music and relished the opportunity to write for the harpsichord too. Some of the music of Bach in particular has a rhythmically mesmerising aspect which I feel is comparable with minimalist music. The more I listen to the timbre and resonance of the viola da gamba, the more I realise its unique potential as an instrument without any modern equivalent.

Philip: Although you were “classically trained” as a clarinetist, you are best known as a jazz/improvised music performer and composers.  How would you describe your compositional style?

Paul: On the surface, I suppose it’s more classical than jazz. However I tend to follow my nose when composing, in the same way one must when improvising. As a composer, the process is slower and the opportunity for planning and revision is there. I love to play with rhythmic concepts which help give a sense of physical musical momentum. My tastes in music are so eclectic that it has taken a long time for me to feel comfortable enough in my own choice of style. That style is sort of grounded in early twentieth century European repertoire, but with a perspective that can draw on many other eras and styles such as Medieval, Balkan folk music, and Indigenous music. Whenever I write music, I’m conscious of the musicians who will play it and aim to make it a positive and fulfilling experience for them.

Philip: You’ve also written for other string ensembles such as “The Noise”.  As a wind player, are there any specific challenges in writing for strings?

Paul: It’s crucial to study idiomatic techniques associated with any instrument group unfamiliar to the composer. I’ve fallen in love generally with the variety of timbre as well as the homogenous nature of the string family over the last 3 or 4 years. Writing for the viola da gamba required an adaptation of my understanding of modern string instruments. The tuning of the seven strings of the gamba, the sound of its various registers and its almost harp like pizzicato all inspired very specific ideas which I feel wouldn’t work on any other instrument.

Philip:  Can you tell us a little bit about the piece you have written for Jenny Eriksson and harpsichordist Ray Harvey which will be premiered at “Re-Imaginings”?

Paul: I wanted to write an homage to the typical Baroque suite of dance movements and settled eventually on four: Prelude, quasi Boureé,  Sarabande and a quasi Gigue. I’ve aimed for music that sounds tonally attractive, and that takes advantage of the different textures available to the gamba and the harpsichord. I let my imagination run with the idea of “fortspinnung” in Baroque music, where the notes just played suggest the notes yet to come ‘spinning forth’. 

Philip: Finally, what other projects are you working on at the moment?

Paul: I’ve just finished recording an album of my compositions for bass clarinet, string quartet and double bass called Propinquity, as well as Gary Daley’s Sanctuary album. I’m performing Andrew Robson’s Touchstone project (once again with strings!) in Bathurst, Orange and Sydney. November brings  concerts and a recording with composer and saxophonist Gai Bryant, for big band and and the Cuban percussionist Justo Pelladito in Sydney, as well as concerts with world music band Mara in Sydney, Bathurst and Mudgee. James Greening’s wonderful 7 piece Greening from Ear to Ear is also keeping me busy with gigs at Manly and Wangarratta Jazz Festivals, Canberra and Sydney.  The year finishes with 3 weeks of ‘Baby’s Proms’ performing a show called ‘Little Drummer Boy’.

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“Re-Imaginings”

Date:                     Sunday 26^th October, 2014

Time:                    3.00pm to 4.15pm; complementary drinks are served

Venue:                Sydney Conservatorium, Macquarie St, Sydney

Cost:                     $35/20; online www.maraisproject.com.au; ph 02 9809 5185