Alexey Arkhipenko: Virtal

Symphony "Beyond" 2016-09-10

Symphony "Beyond" was created for a poem "Beyond" by Sergey Arkhipenko:

Heat 2016-08-07

This project was inspired by Gav Brown's proposed contest "Summer is the hot season".
I decided to divide music into three movements and created a following plan:

Sultriness (hot air rising, leaves burnt) - music from far, rise (in the end), background constant rhythm, ringing.
Heat (stove) - active rhythm, struggle, pursuit.
Charry postapocalypsis - slow, passive, memorial.

The Sun Sets Sail 2016-05-22

This piece was created in a collaboration project by composers Alexey Arkhipenko and Mariza Cabral to a painting "The Sun Sets Sail" by painter Rob Gonsalves.

Fugue 2016-04-14

This piece is a part of collaboration project with Ekaterina Zaikina (painting) and Sergey Arkhipenko (poetry). Initially music was created by me, then painting was created by Ekaterina and poetry was created by Sergey - independently using only music.

The piece is abstract, using subject and countersubjects with alterations at their endings.

In the darkness 2016-04-13

This piece is a part of collaboration project with Ekaterina Zaikina (painting) and Sergey Arkhipenko (poetry). Initially painting was created by Ekaterina, then music was written by me and poetry was created by Sergey - independently using only painting. Later poetry was synchronized with music.

When writing this piece I was looking at differents parts of the painting and intuitively created music without sketches, sometimes using my recorder.

The witch 2016-04-13

This music is a part of a collaboration project with Ekaterina Zaikina (painting) and Sergey Arkhipenko (poetry). Initially poetry was created by Sergey, then music was written by me and painting was created by Ekaterina - independently using only poetry.

To create this piece I divided a poem into 4 parts and created a scheme, representing atmosphere and feeling of each part, as well as some music ideas in graphical form. There was no graphical representation of Associations section until I finished the piece (only question mark).

I also produced a version where Sergey's poetry, my music and my videos are combined (see above).

Viola sonata 1 "Anaerobic" 2016-02-16

I often write program pieces, but this one is abstract. So I gave an abstract name to it first, later adding a program name "Anaerobic".

Big thanks to Irina Kazanskaya for playing piano part for this recording. I am very glad that we had a chance to work together and I understood how a musician perceives this piece. We discussed the piece several times and I recomposed several sections, which sounded strange and were more difficult to perform. This was a beautiful experimental feeling.

I recorded several videos for this track in Moscow using Canon EOS 750D + EF 200mm f/2.8

Volcano 2015-09-14

When writing this piece I first drew a plan on a whiteboard, you can see it below. Then I added two voice sketches using my smartphone audio recorder.

This piece consists of three parts, each approximately 3 minutes long. It is a program track, as I first created the idea (plan below) and then wrote music. First part (climbing up the volcano) creates an increasing tension by crescendo, speeding up tempo and transition from legato to staccato.

I created multiple videos for this track, including a painting by Lida Naumidis specially for this piece, sketch of this painting and a collection of photos.

The Cloud 2015-08-02

In this piece I use new approach to harmonic structure: first decide the movement of one voice (choosing first note of a chord), then select a chord that includes this note, then find other voices for chord using voice leading. I tend to choose chords, that are not dominants or subdominants of surrounding chords and are far from surrounding chords in terms of circle of fifths. This leads to a constantly developing harmony without standard resolutions.

Trio from the new world 2015-07-07

In this track, like in others this year I am moving from the concept of simple repetitions, that I often used in the previous tracks. Now if I reuse any material, I modify it, making the whole piece not only a meditative pleasure full of repeats, but also more rich in information, when listening to every minute brings something new.

Hamlet Quartet 2015-06-14

This string quartet seems an important stage of my musical development. This is the first time I achieved atonal quality writing each note and interval consciously without using serial techniques like retrograde inversions.

Visions of Yesterday 2015-06-08

I used some ideas of Richard Strauss in the first minute of the piece. Piece has generally homophonic texture with diatonic melodies, which rarely change to atonal polyphonic texture. Most of phrases are short. Instruments use is sparce and free, leading to situation when some instruments play only in 2-3 places of the piece (this is the first time I do not try to balance instruments use).

Orchestra House 2015-05-16

My first house (electronic dance music) track written exclusively for orchestral instruments. The idea was to use only real instruments and real sound effects without any heavy processing except for equalizing, reverb and limiting.

Staircase 107 2015-04-20

My first minimal-atonal piano concerto for three quality piano libraries: Fazioli (intro and lower part), Alicia's Keys (higher part and finale), Mavericks. Each library has its own reverberation. The idea is that three pianos are played in a single hall:

Black moon 2014-12-21

Alternative opera for alto, soprano, strings and kalimba. Soprano vocal part is difficult, while alto is singable. This is my first project in Reaper and you can find a little information on migrating from Cubase to Reaper in my video tutorials on youtube. Libraries used:

Gnome forest 2014-11-25

Composition for a woodwind quintet using Sample modeling instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon). Starts with folclore theme and then travels into minimalism.

One day on the red planet 2014-11-23

Composition for 6 french horns and orchestral percussion in romantic style with elements of minimalism and film music. For horn 2c-Aether reverb was used. For percussion equal portions of stage and far mics were used. Libraries used:

Sample modeling - Brass (Brass)
ProjectSAM - True Strike (Percussion)

Samurai 2014-10-18

This is a demo track created totally using EastWest Hollywood Orchestra Percussion. In introduction I used some gong bowing.

Painting to this track was created by Lidia Naumidis.

Gold 2014-09-30

This is a demo track created totally using EastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra (Play edition).

What does the bible say about purgatory 2014-08-03

Used libraries: Sample Modeling (all woodwinds and brass), Spittfire Sable (strings), Soundiron Voice of Rapture: The Soprano, Soundiron Mars, Spitfire Hanz Zimmer Percussion (timpani).

Church Legends 2014-07-27

Sample Modeling Trumpet 2.52. Hauptwerk Pipe Organ - St. Anne's, Moseley.

Rufabgo 2014-07-06

For piccolo flute, flute, alto flute and bass flute. Using Sample Modeling Flutes. I decided to use only Flutes and only Sample Modeling reverb.

Water Conflict 2014-06-21

For orchestra. Using 10 libraries, mainly percussion and phrases:

Brass pictures 2014-05-26

For solo trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba. Using SM Brass.

Ancient disbalance 2014-05-16

For piccolo and 3 flutes. Using Berlin Woodwinds (1.6 and EXPB). Baroque and minimalism.

Rampant elegance 2014-05-11

For piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, english horn, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon. Using Berlin Woodwinds (1.6, EXPA and EXPB). Some ideas of Prokofiev were used.

Morning waltz 2014-05-03

Violin sonata. Instruments used: Friedlander Violin, Emotion piano, Altiverb (single reverberation for both dry instruments).

Wake Up 2014-04-19

String quartet. This is my first work with Spitfire Sable (123) and Solo strings. I alternate between group and solo samples in this piece. Style is rock and romantic.

Frozen field 2014-04-12

Chamber orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba, 2 violins, Viola, Cello, Double bass). I developed approaches, that I first used in Day Night Day.

I recorded an 8-hour video while setting up the samples of this piece. EWQLSO library used.

Day Night Day 2014-03-15

Chamber orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba, 2 violins, Viola, Cello, Double bass). I used some new atonal approaches first and some elements of Richard Strauss style.

EWQLSO library.

Spring Sacrifice 2014-02-24

Chamber orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba, 2 violins, Viola, Cello, Double bass) in modern russian style. EWQLSO library used.

Comet 2014-02-23

This is one of my pieces for chamber orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba, 2 violins, Viola, Cello, Double bass) in ambient style. EWQLSO library used.

Flying town 2014-02-22

This is one of my first pieces for chamber orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba, 2 violins, Viola, Cello, Double bass). It is in rock style. EWQLSO library used.

Pursuit 2014-02-21

This is one of my first pieces for chamber orchestra (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba, 2 violins, Viola, Cello, Double bass). It is in rock style. EWQLSO library used.

Walker 2013-09-08

This string quartet consists of 11 parts. Each part is created in a specific style and all parts are connected with transitions. Most styles go in a historical order.

This piece was created for the contest and I have both virtual with EWQLSO and real performances (see both recordings in the header). Walker performed live by Fratres quartet in Vermel club, Moscow Walker performed live by Fratres quartet in Vermel club, Moscow.

Unfortunately, quartet was replaced three days before the performance and musicians had almost no time for rehearsal. This is why there are some shortcomings in the performance.

Run 2013-08-14

Strangely, Run was originally composed for a starting 3Harp project, for melodica and 4 harmonicas. Later, it was rescored for a woodwind sextet (2 flutes, oboe, english horn, clarinet, bassoon).

It was my first try for woodwinds. Samples are from EWQLSO (all solo, 3 microphone positions). In this piece I used some quartet techniques, 12-tone serial and non-serial technique and some DSCH/BACH magic :)

Interstellar string quartet 2013-07-13

Interstellar String Quartet was created for the contest of works for string quartet in the first half of 2013 year. The main idea of the quartet is mixing of late romantic approach with minimalism, impressionism, expressionism and rock music. EWQLSO solo strings were used.

Castle 2013-02-26

Composition for Brass quintet: 2 x Trumpets, Trombone, Horn, Tuba. Style is rock/noise/minimal. EWQLSO.

Iron Lord 2013-02-25

Composition for Brass quintet: 2 x Trumpets, Trombone, Horn, Tuba. Style is rock. EWQLSO.

Alien Annihilation 2012-12-11

Composition for brass instruments and orchestra percussion: Trumpets, Trombones, Horns, Tuba, Timpani, Bass drum, Snare drum, Cymbals, Anvil.

Bioforge 2012-12-09

Composition for brass instruments and orchestra percussion: Trumpets, Trombones, Horns, Tuba, Timpani, Bass drum, Snare drum, Cymbals, Anvil.

Style is close to brass rock, extensive use of pentatonic, blues notes and complimentary rhythms.

For sound EWQLSO was used, mainly grouped instruments, except Tuba and percussion. Here I first use compound CFS sampling with equalized C and dynamic C/S levels. This allows to use no effects at all (except limiter, but I do not use it much). All reverberation is sampled.

Falling from the window 2012-10-29

String quartet consisting of two violins, viola and cello - played by a string orchestra. EWQLSO sound was used for virtual performance.
This piece was created for the contest. Live performance of the piece by Fratres Quartet in Shokoladnaya Fabrika club, Moscow 2013-02-14. You can see that in the video this piece was named "Silent hints #2".

Silent Hints 2012-10-27

String quartet consisting of two violins, viola and cello. EWQLSO sound was used for virtual performance.

This piece was created for contest. Live performance of the piece by Fratres Quartet in Shokoladnaya Fabrika club, Moscow 2013-02-14.

Yellow spirit 2012-09-01

After the City project I decided to write something simple and nice using a little polyphony. I used tempo changes here a lot. Sounds are from Truepianos.

White spirit 2012-08-04

I started White Spirit experimenting with some serial mutation. Then I chose another series. Then I decided to make some polyphony. At last I thought: Well, I can really mix it here.

I ended up with a phylosophical thoughtful composition...

Sibelius Sound Essentials.

Prometheus 2012-06-30

Prometheus composition was written for the Prometheus movie. It has three parts. The first part is full of unknown and unusual. The second part is full of technology and progress (minimalism). The third part is the death, when technology does not help and only destroys.

Sibelius 6 Sound Essentials.