MikeFishOfficial

The fourth movement of 'Confidential Dances', a large-scale 14-movement work for Large Orchestra. The twelve inner movements are dedicated to depicting various Jungian archetypes, whilst the outer movements form bookends which depict a landscape of civilisational-level dissolution. Orchestra: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 1 Cor Anglais, 1 Clarinet in Eb, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba, Bass Drum, Tam-Tam, Vibraphone, Harp, Celesta, Violins I (16-20), Violins II (14-18), Violas (10-14), Cellos (8-12), Double Basses (4-8). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

The 4th movement from 'Self Isolation Suite', composed at the height of lockdown, in the early summer of 2020. Two years on, it feels more like an elegy to regrets, hindsight and things lost. The painting is the final in Thomas Cole's series, entitled 'The Course of Empire'. This final painting is also - fittingly - entitled 'Desolation'. Orchestra: 3 Flutes, 3 Oboes, 3 Clarinets in Bb, 3 Bassoons, 1 Tuba, Violins I (16-20), Violins II (14-16), Violas (10-14), Cellos (8-12), Double Basses (4-8).

The complete album, 'Polyphonic Pandemic', released in April 2021. 1. The Cat and The Moon 0:00 2. Self Isolation Suite - 1. Introduction 2:38 3. Self Isolation Suite - 2. Memory of London 4:48 4. Self Isolation Suite - 3. Wheel of Fire 6:27 5. Self Isolation Suite - 4. Desolation 8:55 6. Self Isolation Suite - 5. Lullaby to a Robin 12:35 7. Self Isolation Suite - 6. Carnival 14:53 8. Self Isolation Suite - 7. Pantomime 16:25 9. Self Isolation Suite - 8. Finale 18:30 10. The Little Boots March 21:40 11. Lockdown Blues 23:25 12. Impossibilities - 1. Introduction 25:19 13. Impossibilities - 2. Dragon 26:15 14. Impossibilities - 3. Night Forest 29:48 15. Impossibilities - 4. House of Stairs 32:50 16. Impossibilities - 5. Another World 35:28 17. Impossibilities - 6. Apotheosis 38:35 18. Christmas Romance 40:47 'Polyphonic Pandemic' is a collection of music created under the thumb of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020/2021. 'The Cat and the Moon', based on the poem by William Butler Yeats, was written in 2011. The orchestration was completed in February 2020, shortly before the first lockdown in the United Kingdom. The 'Self Isolation Suite' was composed in the middle of the first UK lockdown from March - July 2020. 'The Little Boots March' was written in August 2020. It is a snapshot description of Caligula, the famously bloodthirsty Roman emperor. 'Lockdown Blues', for solo cimbasso, was composed in November 2020, during the second lockdown in the United Kingdom. 'Impossibilities' was composed from January to March, 2021. Inspired by the artwork of M.C Escher, the piece was borne out of a desire to convey the dementing feeling of being in continuous lockdown. Finally, 'Christmas Romance' was written in December 2020. It attempts to convey the yearning and longing experienced in the UK during Christmas 2020, with many families unable to see each other in person. If you would like to support my work, you can stream the album on Spotify, buy it on iTunes or give a donation at the following links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0rzNnF... iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id15606... Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

‘Impossibilities’ is a six-part orchestral suite, centred around the work of the famous Dutch artist, M.C Escher. Escher's world is a surreal and occasionally frightening world of paradoxes, optical illusions, strange patterns and fictional creatures. The music was borne out of a desire to convey the dementing feeling of being in continuous and sustained lockdown, due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a world which has currently been turned upside down with increasing volatility, Escher's work provided the perfect synthesis of playfulness and demented nonsense. I – Introduction (00:00) A brief introduction to Escher and the resultant musical landscape, based upon his most well-known work, ‘Relativity’. Faceless, mannequin-like people travel up and down a series of endless staircases. These staircases appear to lead into each other and seem to end nowhere. The orchestra engages in an off-kilter dance rooted in the whole-tone scale, with the Xylophone representing the mechanical travel of the people. II – Dragon (00:55) Inspired by Escher’s work of the same name, this movement depicts an ouroboros dragon attempting to break out of his own paradox. In Escher's words: "This dragon is an obstinate beast, and in spite of his two dimensions, he persists in assuming that he has three." This movement makes extensive use of Olivier Messiaen’s 2nd Mode of Limited Transposition, with long-sustained chords in the woodwinds, brass and lower strings, conveying the static nature of the wood engraving. Trumpets, 1st Violins, Xylophone and Glockenspiel represent the desperation of the dragon to escape his prison. III – Night Forest (04:28) This movement is a dark scherzo based on ‘Scholastica’, an early surrealist work created by Escher in 1931. A dark forest with withered trees is shown. We see owls, mice, snakes, dogs and cats with grotesque expressions all congregating in the midst of this shadowy realm. The music is fixed within the Hungarian Minor Scale (in A), with the central dance inspired by the funeral march from Gustav Mahler’s 1st Symphony and the ‘laughter through tears’ aesthetic of much Jewish Klezmer music. The music eventually sinks into a murky final A Minor chord. IV – House of Stairs (07:34) The 4th movement is a depiction of Escher's grotesque 'House of Stairs'. In this variation on his endless staircases, a collection of 46 creatures created by Escher himself, known as 'Curl Ups' or 'Wentelteefje' are crawling up and down. These creatures are elongated and armoured, with six human feet for legs and a disc-shaped head with a parrot-like beak and eyes on stalks on either side. The music follows the development and recapitulation of two-primary themes. The first (in 5/16) represents the demented dizziness of the staircases, the second is a military-like march representing the Wentelteefje, as they relentlessly ascend and descend. V – Another World (10:08) The 5th movement is a chorale depicting Escher's mysterious 'Another World', in which we see a paradoxical arched structure in space, populated through many angles by metal sculptures of birds with human faces. The music is deliberately very slow, reflecting the absence of time in this surreal realm. Olivier Messiaen’s Third Mode of Limited transposition informs the harmonic language, with the Tam-Tam and Vibraphone providing an extra layer of other worldliness. As the music sinks and fades, we are left perpetually hanging, lingering in a world of surreal paradoxes. In performance, there should be a significant silence before the final movement. VI – Apotheosis (13:20) The last movement is conceived as a final short burst of Escher’s world, in which the quality of playful madness is brought to a climax. The movement is in 3/4 and is nominally a waltz, with many traditional Viennese waltz chord progressions. However, the harmonies are suffused with tritones and the key changes regularly, with the tempo gradually increasing with each episode. The image depicted is of someone climbing a series of Escher staircases, with each successive staircase being more outlandish, warped and difficult to climb. Eventually, the danger becomes too much, the protagonist loses their balance and falls. The piece finishes with a hammering from the orchestra in the whole-tone scale which opened the suite. ORCHESTRA 1 Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in Bb, 2 Trombones, 1 Tuba, 5 Timpani (C, D, E, F#, G#), Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Whip, Tambourine, Tam-Tam (Large), Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Vibraphone, Violins 1 (16 - 20), Violins 2 (14 - 18), Violas (12 - 16), Cellos (10 - 14), Double Basses (8 - 12). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

The third movement of 'Confidential Dances', a large-scale 14-movement work for Large Orchestra. The twelve inner movements are dedicated to depicting various Jungian archetypes, whilst the outer movements form bookends which depict a landscape of civilisational-level dissolution. Orchestra: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 1 Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 1 Bass Clarinet in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba, Cabasa, Castanets, Egg Shaker, Wood Block, Xylophone, Violins I (16-20), Violins II (14-18), Violas (10-14), Cellos (8-12), Double Basses (4-8).

The second movement of 'Confidential Dances', a large-scale 14-movement work for Large Orchestra. The twelve inner movements are dedicated to depicting various Jungian archetypes, whilst the outer movements form bookends which depict a landscape of civilisational-level dissolution. Orchestra: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 1 Cor Anglais, 1 Clarinet in Eb, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, Harp, Banjo, Maracas, Xylophone, Violins I (16-20), Violins II (14-18), Violas (10-14), Cellos (8-12), Double Basses (4-8). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

The first movement of 'Confidential Dances', a large-scale 14-movement work for Large Orchestra. The twelve inner movements are dedicated to depicting various Jungian archetypes, whilst the outer movements form bookends which depict a landscape of civilisational-level dissolution. Orchestra: 2 Flutes, 1 Tuba, Celesta, Vibraphone, Harp, Violins I (16-20), Violins II (14-18), Violas (10-14), Cellos (8-12), Double Basses (4-8). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

A musical setting of the famous poem by William Butler Yeats, 'The Cat and the Moon'. Originally written for Solo Piano and performed at the Yeats International Summer School (Sligo, Ireland) in 2011, and orchestrated in early 2020. Original Poem by William Butler Yeats: http://www.poetry-archive.com/y/the_c... Orchestra: 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 1 Alto Saxophone, 2 Bassoons, 3 Trumpets, Bass Drum, Tam-Tam, Tambourine, Whip, Xylophone, Celesta and Strings (Violins 1, Violins 2, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

An orchestral tidbit, fashioned out of a discarded movement from the 'Self Isolation Suite' (2020). The image is of the famous 1859 Italian painting 'The Kiss', by Francesco Hayez. ORCHESTRA 1 Flute, 3 Clarinets in Bb, 1 Bassoon, Celesta and Strings (Violins 1, Violins 2, Violas, Cellos and Doubles Basses). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

A trio of small orchestral pieces, depicting various shades of the time between dusk and dawn. Some of the musical material is from discarded movements of the 'Self Isolation Suite' (2020). 1. Allegro - 00:00 2. Andante - 00:50 3. Adagio - 2:32 Orchestra: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 3 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 1 Tuba, Bass Drum, Tam-Tam, Glockenspiel, Celesta and Strings (Violins I, Violins 2, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

An orchestration of Scott Bradlee's 'Super Mario Brothers Medley', written for solo ragtime piano. Mario is one of video gaming's most instantly recognisable characters, and this is a small attempt to convey some of the crazed joy in Koji Kondo's original scores and Scott Bradlee's excellent development of them. Orchestra: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 3 Oboes, 1 Clarinet in Eb, 1 Clarinet in Bb, 1 Bass Clarinet in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Tambourine, Whip, Maracas, Whistle, Xylophone, 1st Violins (16), 2nd Violins (14), Violas (12), Cellos (10) and Double Basses (8). Scott Bradlee's Original Medley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdqKE... Special Thanks to Timothy Gondola for his excellent transcription: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka8Gp... SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

A dark fantasia, dabbling in the realm of science fiction. The piece is written to showcase the Theremin, an early electronic instrument which found fame in the scores for various 1950s 'B-movies', including 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' (1951). Orchestra: Solo Theremin, 6 1st Violins, 4 2nd Violins, 4 Violas, 4 Cellos and 1 Double Bass. SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic

A Christmas-themed rhapsody for an orchestral ensemble, featuring passing references to a number of famous Christmas songs, buried underneath the snowy American jazz harmonies. Orchestra: 1 Piccolo, 1 Flute, 1 Clarinet in Bb, Sleigh Bells and Strings (Violins I, Violins II, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses). SUPPORT MY WORK Paypal Donations: https://paypal.me/mikefishmusic