Composer’s blog – a good ‘standalone’ trio Tuesday, 23 June 2009

After a gap of two months since writing the music for episode 3, I was very excited to be returning to compose the score for episode 5. As soon as I read the script, I knew that the episode was going to be action-packed! The animatic and animation rough gave me a very good idea of how the story would be paced, and I realised straight away that my musical accompaniment would need to complement this pacing, and help drive the action forward towards the energetic final sequences.

In my score for episode 3, I had chosen to write music for flute, viola and cello, and I decided that using this combination of instruments again in episode 5 would allow the same flexibility in range, texture and musical timbre. I find that these instruments make a particularly good ‘standalone’ trio, as each instrument can naturally and comfortably occupy a different pitch range and musical function within a texture; something that is a common feature of musical ensembles. The cello’s range, for example, enables it to comfortably provide the low bass foundation of the trio’s sound, while the viola can comfortably occupy the middle and upper ranges, and the flute is most comfortable in the highest and brightest portion of the sound. Of course, the fact that these instruments are played by SCO musicians means that this basic pitch relationship can abandoned if need be, as these virtuosic players are used to playing in the most extreme ranges of their instruments!

[Editor's note: more from Michael throughout this week.]