The Work
EQUUS is a work for classical guitar duo that explores the guitar’s full resonance potential through lateral and horizontal motion across the fretboard. By ensuring that each note is played on a different string where possible, the music produces a wash of lingering tones that enhance the piece’s harmonic depth.
Rooted in the rhythmic vitality and modal colors of Irish traditional music, EQUUS contrasts pulse-driven melodic figures with moments of tonal ambiguity passed between the two performers. Microtonal effects, achieved by plucking to the left of the fretting hand, add an additional layer of textural nuance.
The title alludes to the galloping motifs woven throughout the piece, echoing both the energy of its folk influences and the kinetic motion of the music itself.
The Composer
Brian Ledwidge Flynn is an Irish composer, guitarist, and producer based in Dortmund, Germany. His music explores how sound shapes our perception of time, often blending chamber instrumentation with analog tape techniques to create textured, unpredictable soundscapes.
His works, performed globally from Berlin to Taipei, balance structured composition with performer choice, resulting in pieces that are ever-shifting yet static.
A founding member of the Irish Composers’ Collective and Magnetic State Cassette Label, Flynn’s compositions are archived at the Contemporary Music Centre in Dublin and licensed worldwide for film, TV, games, and multimedia. He is also an experienced educator in composition, production, and performance.
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