Shell Building Site: Trio For Harp, Flute, and Viola
experimental electronic music
- 1Shell Building Site: Trio For Harp, Flute, and Viola
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Open edition
The piece “Shell Building Site: Trio for Harp, Flute, and Viola” takes inspiration from British 20th-century artist Leon Kossoff’s painting Shell Building Site, which vividly portrays the chaotic urbanisation and industrialisation of post-World War II London through the lens of figural expressionism. Kossoff’s works reflect the transitional turmoil of 1960s London, marked by physical tension and emotional intensity. Through his emphasis on material texture and distortion of form, Kossoff conveyed the environment's palpable anxiety and disarray while exploring themes of isolation and human fragility. His method amplifies the overwhelming emotions of his subjects and the urban landscape they inhabit.
The trio draws from the structural distortions and spatial disruptions inherent in Kossoff’s figural expressionism, translating these ideas into musical language. The composition features non-linear development, fragmentation of melody and harmony, partial use of graphic scores, extended techniques, and improvisational clusters. These techniques aim to capture the emotional energy and disorienting atmosphere of Kossoff’s London, offering an auditory representation of the alienation, chaos, and instability he so viscerally depicted. By employing compositional methods inspired by the avant-garde music practices of the 1960s, Harp Trio for Shell Building Site reimagines the heavy breath and frenetic energy of post-war figural expressionism through a contemporary lens. The piece seeks to embody and confront the unrelieved tensions and unresolved energies that continue to resonate within individuals and societies.
Even today, the world remains turbulent. Wars persist, and in places like London, suppressed emotions linger in the city’s shadows. Perhaps our collective effort to understand the world and dream of an ideal society stems from an enduring love for humanity, despite its imperfections. Harp Trio for Shell Building Site is an attempt to amplify that overwhelming breath and, through sound, embrace the spectral emotions and energies that haunt individuals and communities.
Composed By Eleanor Lee
Organised by the Courtauld Gallery, Dr Charlotte de Mille and Professor Barbara De Biasi
Performed by Ruth Harrison (fl), Rebecca Breen (vla) and Elin Samuel (hp)
Studio Recorded by Guildhall A&V department
The trio draws from the structural distortions and spatial disruptions inherent in Kossoff’s figural expressionism, translating these ideas into musical language. The composition features non-linear development, fragmentation of melody and harmony, partial use of graphic scores, extended techniques, and improvisational clusters. These techniques aim to capture the emotional energy and disorienting atmosphere of Kossoff’s London, offering an auditory representation of the alienation, chaos, and instability he so viscerally depicted. By employing compositional methods inspired by the avant-garde music practices of the 1960s, Harp Trio for Shell Building Site reimagines the heavy breath and frenetic energy of post-war figural expressionism through a contemporary lens. The piece seeks to embody and confront the unrelieved tensions and unresolved energies that continue to resonate within individuals and societies.
Even today, the world remains turbulent. Wars persist, and in places like London, suppressed emotions linger in the city’s shadows. Perhaps our collective effort to understand the world and dream of an ideal society stems from an enduring love for humanity, despite its imperfections. Harp Trio for Shell Building Site is an attempt to amplify that overwhelming breath and, through sound, embrace the spectral emotions and energies that haunt individuals and communities.
Composed By Eleanor Lee
Organised by the Courtauld Gallery, Dr Charlotte de Mille and Professor Barbara De Biasi
Performed by Ruth Harrison (fl), Rebecca Breen (vla) and Elin Samuel (hp)
Studio Recorded by Guildhall A&V department
