SoundJCaldas
2021

Murmúrios da Terra

Piece for solo gamba

for Carolina

Carolina Schwäbl-Martins - Viola da Gamba and Video

João Caldas - Composition

Florian Götz - Sound Recording and Mixing


Murmúrios da Terra was created with (and for) Carolina Schwäbl-Martins, in an environment similar to an artist residency, creating directly with the instrument and its sound material, without the need of a score as a communication intermediary.

This piece tries to bring into focus not only the unique characteristics of the viola da gamba's sound, but also Carolina's voice and sensibility (also unique).

The video was conceived by both, but filmed and directed by Carolina. We tried to capture in image an abstract dimension of the viola da gamba in order to achieve an immanent intimacy with the instrument itself.
murmuration project 
2021

Klangfluss 1
2020

Apneia

Piece for symphony orchestra

Gulbenkian Orchestra

José Eduardo Gomes - Direction

João Caldas - Composition

Winner of the first prize in the 10th Edition of the Composition Prize SPA / Antena 2.

Apneia was written on the premise of a narrative discourse that collapses, giving way to a non-narrative and suspensive terrain. This discourse consists of the juxtaposition of two blocks/materials (A and B) with opposite qualities: A is cumulative and expansive, B is open and disincentive; A creates tension, B creates distension; A is movement, B is landscape; A is inhaling, B is exhaling.

After a climactic moment where the two materials overlap, the music collapses and enters a suspensive environment, a non-narrative temporal limbo where there is neither tension nor distension - apnea.
Score
2019

A Sombra de Pitágoras

Piece for 1 percussionist and metal percussion

… for Francisco.

Miguel Curado - Percussion

João Caldas - Composition

A Sombra de Pitágoras was created with (and for) Francisco Cipriano, in an environment similar to an artistic residence, creating directly with the instrument and its sound material, without the need of a score as a communication intermediary. A graphic record of this piece was written later (2021) to the performance of the piece, a record that has no pretension to be a fixed score, but a working outline for future performances. It was the first personal project inserted in this co-creational process without score intermediary.

This piece emerges from a practical research on different techniques of bowing cymbals, and from a fascination for the sound, apparently untamed, of these instruments.

In this piece, a scenic device is requested, in which the percussionist is covered by a screen, and the only light source used is a lamp placed immediately behind the screen (unfortunately, the recording of the performance was lost with the scenic realization). The result is an acousmatic effect (the source of the sound becomes hidden), and an abstract play of shadows. From this device comes the title of the piece - a reference to Pythagoras, a prominent figure in the study of the physical and mystical aspects of sound, and to the legend of the akusmatikoi: Pythagoras' pupils who listened to the master behind a veil to better hear his words.
2018

Gesto de um Eclipse

(for harp)
2017

Um Estudo da Elipse
Score
2017

Como o Eco dum Grito


Score
2016

A Pedra de Sísifo
Score
2016

rumor quase branco
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