Christopher Gainey
photo courtesy of Mike Kubik photography of Seattle, WA |
Christopher Gainey did his undergraduate and Master’s level work at the Peabody Conservatory earning degrees in composition, guitar performance and music theory pedagogy. His music has been performed throughout the United States by The University of Iowa Center for New Music, The Affinity Chamber Players, Duo Transatlantique, and The San Francisco Guitar Quartet. His music has been published by Vogt&Fritz and the SCI Journal of Music Scores, and is included on recordings from SCI, Beauport Classical, ERM Media, and the San Francisco Guitar Quartet. He is currently the guitar instructor at Coe College and recently received his Ph. D. in composition from the University of Iowa. For more information please visit www.christophergainey.com. |
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Compositions | |||
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Iago |
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| Iago.mp3 - complete | |||
| Iago.pdf - complete | |||
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"Iago," for violin solo, takes its inspiration from my favorite villain in all of Shakespeare. While reading Othello I found that I was more concerned with what was going on inside Iago’s mind than I was with the welfare of the other characters in the play. The instrumentation was chosen to reflect not only the intimate, internal turmoil of the character, but also Iago’s constant attempts to overstep the boundaries of his social position. This music is meant to sound as if the violin is fighting against the limitations of the instrument in a similar way. This piece does not follow a narrative as such, but instead is a glimpse into the whirlwind personality of a complex villain. | |||
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1st movement |
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| 1st movement.mp3 - complete | |||
| 1st movement.pdf - complete | |||
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"Three Movements from No Sleep for the Wicked:" "No Sleep for the Wicked" is a ballet in seven parts based upon my battles with insomnia. Specifically, it evokes the changes in one’s perception of time and state of mind as the seemingly endless night drags on. I have chosen a line of poetry that reflects the mood of the music as the title for each movement. These three movements serve as a suite that has been excerpted from the ballet to be performed in a concert setting separate from the dance. I. “…Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight, And all the air a solemn stillness holds…” - Thomas Gray IV. “…The clocks are striking, calling to each other, And one can see right to the edge of time…” - Rainer Maria Rilke, trans. Bly VI. “In all its raucous impudence Life writhes, cavorts in pallid light…” - Charles Baudelaire, trans. Shapiro | |||
©2009 by Christopher Gainey
All Rights Reserved
Christopher Gainey is a member of Society of Composers, Inc. SCI is dedicated to the promotion of composition, performance, understanding and dissemination of new and contemporary music.