Hear this work here: https://youtu.be/f2ffYhu3sFc
3:12:12 Scott Jolicoeur
Giuliani Variations on a Theme by Rossini Op.101
Bogdanovic Balkan Miniatures (Without third movement) (1993)
Arsharqia Visions by Liam Kuhn (2022)
 
Alsharqia Visions which in Arabic means “Eastern Visions”, was a concept that came about over the summer of 2022. Liam Kuhn was experiencing a multitude of emotions from despair due to the loss of a loved one, to the extreme pleasure of knowing that he got an exceptional mark in his first composition course at Memorial University. Over the summer Liam was delving more and more into Eastern classical music; starting from his love of Balkan music introduced to him by Dusan Bogdanovic’s work. Liam was also taking an interest in Koyunnbaba by Carlo Dominiconi, which led him to Turkish folk music. From there he studied the modality of Oud music from Iran and other parts of the Middle East that share that instrument/sound. Along-side his further interest in eastern classical music styles, he was reading Schoenberg and Avro Pärt. Schoenberg helped him expand his knowledge in breaking from traditional harmony; whereas Avro Pärt helped to solidify his love of modality but in a modern context; an example being his creation of Tabala Rasa.

Liam wanted to mix, as well as he could, Scott’s Jolicoeur’s (Performer) interest and affinity towards Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era Western classical music, with his love of complex rhythm, metre and Eastern inspired modality. The piece is partially in a sonata form; however, it does not completely resemble one and the material acts as a mirror image of itself. What is meant is that it has exposition, development, and recapitulation sections, but the material inside is in reverse order. Liam found that most of the Western classical influence was in the development section where the composition modulates to Ab Major. Measures 26 and 29 are influenced by the Baroque era rhythms and the