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Vijay Iyer's Dig the Say in Premiere Recording by Brooklyn Rider

Oct. 14, 2014

Vijay Iyer's <em>Dig the Say</em> in Premiere Recording by Brooklyn Rider

This month, Mercury Records releases Almanac by the Brooklyn Rider String Quartet featuring the premiere recording of Vijay Iyer’s Dig the Say.

Commissioned by the Bach Society Festival for Brooklyn Rider, Dig the Say received its premiere in 2012, with subsequent performances through the US and China. As part of a large-scale commissioning project, the quartet asked several composers to write works inspired by a creative muse of the last 50 years. For Dig the Say, Iyer took singer James Brown as his muse, composing a work with a uniquely driving rhythmic edge. The title of the work, as well as its four continuous movements – I. carry the ball, IIa. this thing together, IIb. up from the ground, and III. to live tomorrow – come from the lyrics to Brown’s song I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothin’ (Just Open Up the Door, I’ll Get it Myself.

Of the work, Iyer writes:

When I was asked by Brooklyn Rider to choose an artist who had inspired me, James Brown instantly came to mind. Like many, I have studied his music; of course it’s best to enjoy it with your body and soul, but there is also much to learn from analyzing his music’s interlocking bass, drums, guitar, horn, and vocal parts. As a composer and bandleader I have strived for years to put some of his tactics into practice. He brought a lot of ideas to the table about groove, communication, form, and space. Each song has its own vivid and distinct identity, beginning with the intricacies in the rhythm section.

For details on Brooklyn Rider's new album, visit mercuryclassics.com.

Visit schott-music.com for more information on Vijay Iyer.

Vijay Iyer
Dig the Say (2012)
for string quartet
8’

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