"out of the vast void,

immerging resonances

receding again"

- Johnny Chang

A new piece by the Viola Torros, the ongoing research project by composer-performers Catherine Lamb and Johnny Chang, which seeks to realise and arrange the compositions of a pre-medieval composer, Viola Torros. A real pleasure to release this work following their stunning double CD on Another Timbre in late 2018.

Viola T. was an anonymous composer who worked outside of the religious and academic establishments of her time. In her own practice, she documented her works in a minimally effective way, just enough to communicate with her fellow collaborators but barely enough to preserve a legacy for later generations of enthusiasts of her music.

The concept of ‘research’ referred to by the Viola Torros Project involves studies of various relevant musical styles of the pre-medieval period (arabic, byzantine and indian modes), and investigating possible evolution of melodic and harmonic developments as V. T. might have discovered. Choosing one aspect of such a musical style to focus upon, details are discovered and presented in an arrangement for two violas, often with additional augmentations.

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Johnny Chang & Catherine Lamb - violas & arrangement

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Originally recorded by Bryan Eubanks, Düsseldorf 2017

Edited in 2020 by Johnny Chang

Artwork design by Oliver Barrett

1 - Preliminary Study for V.T. [19:41]