Video Release of "The Secret Life of Trees"

I am celebrating the video and recording release of The Secret Life of Trees by Oleg Boyko, a chamber concerto in four movements for guitar that I was honored to be the soloist for. I performed this with Seattle Guitar Orchestra at the Northwest Guitar Festival and on Classic King FM. It's great to be able to share the recording with you!  The video shown here is the fourth movement.  Watch the entirety here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq11gw03t1dBFnacKBcyWr4eUieDOUo7E</p>

Origins:

The piece was commissioned by Mark Hilliard Wilson and was written by Ukrainian composer Oleg Boyko. The name of the work refers to the famous 2018 book The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, which discusses scientific research that trees communicate with each other, sharing nutrients and warning each other of dangers. Oleg Boyko concieved the chamber concerto with metaphoric reference to the relationship with the USA and Ukraine, reflecting on the USA's help of Ukraine and the countries' communication in dire circumstances.

Thanks to the Seattle Classic Guitar Society and their support for the Seattle Classic Guitar Orchestra

Composer: Oleg Boyko

Directed and commissioned by: Mark Hilliard Wilson

Soloist: Lucas Victor

Seattle Guitar Orchestra Players: Karen Sanders, Kayoko Kado, Paul Baxter, David Fetrow, Charles Stanton, Bob Stuart

Special Thanks to Guest Performers: Stella Kosim (Guitar 1), Alex Lathum, Robert Vierschilling

Recording and video: Scribe Studios

The four movements:

The first movement "The Beginning" is an ambient-sounding piece which incorporates drumming (golpe, striking the soundboard) and guitar harmonic effects. The melody is, to me, reminiscent of the composer Saint-Saëns, sometimes compared to Mozart, but with a harmony style characteristic of 70 years later.

The second movement "The Growth" is a fast movement in assymetrical meter (7/8 followed by 5/8 in continual pairs, so characteristic of 11/8 time). This movement has the Phrygian mode and a more fierce sound. Many of the phrases have two alternating chords, with the outer lines (melody and the bass) moving in similar motion (in the same direction). This is a less traditional sound in classical music, which highlights the relationship between pairs of chords, and perhaps a territorial quality to the emotion.

The third movement "The First Bloom" has the style of a sentimental orchestral slow movement, like those Stravinsky and his acquaintances composed in the early twentieth century. This movement has a strong 4/4 rhythm which contrasts the less symmetrical rhythmic structure of the others.

The fourth movement "The Surviving" is similar to "The Growth", but the chords are more traditional and less dissonant. The phrases take longer to satisfactorily finish, which creates more dramatic weight. The orchestra's rhythmic impulses are often separate from the soloist, which creates a more dramatic but also simpler rhythmic structure. The cadenza section provides a challenging and complex guitar solo without accompaniment, preceding the final reprisal of the main theme.