Artist Website: eddiehealy.com
Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ
The Path to Truth: A suite for three guitars in three movements (I. Stagnation II. Irrevocably Becoming… III. Direction). Published: 2014. My favourite thing about these works is that they sound fairly clear and suit the instrument well. Eddie Healy is a guitarist himself so the well worked-out texture makes sense. You can listen to samples to get the flavour of the musical language. The level is intermediate in general but a few parts would benefit from an advanced player when the rhythm or position range become tricky. As far as form goes the pieces are pretty straight forward. That is particularly to the benefit of students and hobbyists looking for shorter selections rather than long-winded works. The last movement is significant however, so more advanced players will get more mileage if they play all three movements (as intended). The score quality is great, I really like Les Productions d’OZ print works these days. There is light fingering and position marks. Here are some remarks about the movements via the composer:
The first movement was written to be the part of my story in which the person around whom it revolves is lumbering listlessly through life; completely uninspired by his duties, his role, and his path. There are little sparks of life in the first guitar at times. But, those around him compel him to maintain his course through life regardless of how meaningless it seems…when joined with the first and third movements of The Path to Truth, Irrevocably Becoming… comes to represent something more. It represents the abandonment of the life of monotony and the listlessness it produces heard in Stagnation and the thrill that the possibility of moving in a new “Direction” toward as yet unseen results can inspire. But, that thrill is tempered by anxiety and apprehension; hence some of dissonance heard throughout…The opening of Direction is demonstrative of one’s full commitment to ascertaining the ultimate Truth; the decision to eschew the life one has known and perceives to be false and incomplete, in order to pursue a full and genuine existence. I hoped to capture the sense that one was moving slowly, a bit apprehensively, yet inexorably toward a reality and a Truth that was not yet clear. When the constant rhythmic motion during the introduction breaks that person has finally had a first glimpse of reality. I endeavored to capture their wonder at all the ways reality was distinct from everything they had known thus far. But, as the piece unfolds, the beholder also experiences sorrow, regret, nostalgia, and even horror. Sorrow and regret for all of the time wasted ignorant of Truth, nostalgia for the simplicity of a life bereft of the gravity of that Truth, and horror at just how grave the new reality can often be. -quotes via Healy on Facebook
Sound Samples & More Info via Les Productions d’OZ: click here.
This Night is a Rope / A Life of Consequence: Two Selections for solo guitar. Published: 2014.
I’d have to say that This Night is a Rope is around intermediate to late-intermediate in level mostly due to the lowered 5th and 6th strings to Sol and Re (although the tuning makes the fingering very manageable). A Life of Consequence is also around the same level but with only drop D tuning on the 6th string. Both will require some effort to navigate the positions while also presenting the musical ideas but overall it sits on the guitar very nicely. Again, The score quality is good, thanks Les Productions d’OZ. As above, includes light fingering and position marks. Here’s some more word via the composer himself:
This Night is a Rope was done in 2008. Though A Life of Consequence was the only solo I’d composed before it I was inspired to approach this piece completely differently based on the success of 20 Seconds. Since I was able to put that piece together so quickly during the recording process I wanted to see what would happen if I attempted to do the same with a solo guitar piece. -quotes via Healy on Facebook
Sound Samples & More Info via Les Productions d’OZ: click here.
Direction by Eddie Healy (via Amazon) – Healy also put out this recording which contains some of his works. The album sounds clean has a good studio sound and nice melodic playing throughout. There are also some more extroverted and active works on the album. If you’re looking for ensemble works you should check this out.
