Profile of Dr Jochen Eisentraut

Name:

Dr Jochen Eisentraut

Position:

Part-time Lecturer

Email:

j.eisentraut@bangor.ac.uk

Location:

School of Music, College Road

Phone:

+44 (0) 1248 382181

Background

Dr Jochen Eisentraut gained BA in Psychology at Bangor in the early 1980s, although since 1983 he has created an impressive career as a professional composer. He has composed music for over 70 television programmes and series, mainly drama for S4C and HTV, but also work for C4 and the BBC including:

1989/91 Score for 'We Are Seven', 13 x 1h prime-time, network drama for ITV. Series won Gold Award for family drama at New York International Film and T.V. Festival.
Collaboration with ground breaking art animator Clive Walley. Our Light of Uncertainty wins ‘Best Film at the Cutting Edge’ award at the British Animation Awards (1998 at the ICA). A further collaboration, Adagio, was shown at the London Film Festival in 2002.
1998-2005 Music for 5 series of S4C drama Talcen Caled.

He was appointed as a lecturer at Bangor University’s School of Music between 1995 and 2002, later to work as a freelance composer and jazz pianist while completing his PhD thesis: Explorations in the Accessibility of Music: an Interdisciplinary Study. He has recently rejoined the School of Music as a part-time member of staff in 2007.

Research Interests

Musical Accessibility
Cultural reception and consumption
Meaning and transplanted musics
Film and cultural change
Brazilian music and culture

Teaching

Music Cultures of the World, Music and Brazilian Culture

Main Publications

Books

Sound and Music in Film and the Visual Media: an Overview. Harper, Doughty Eisentraut (eds.) (2009) New York: Continuum.

Chapters in books

"Hitchcock and Herrmann: Music, Sexual Violence and Cultural Change in Vertigo, Marnie and Psycho." in Harper, Doughty, Eisentraut (eds.) Sound and Music in Film and the Visual Media: an Overview. (2009) New York: Continuum.

Articles in journals

Forthcoming: “Batala and Samba Galês: two Models of Cultural Globalisation.” Welsh Music History. (Expected 2010).

Review of From Pac-Man to Pop Music (Collins, K. 2008) in British Journal of Ethnomusicology 18.1, 2009.

"Samba in Wales: Making Sense of Adopted Music." British Journal of Ethnomusicology. (2001) 10.1: 85-106.

Albums

Cyfnos Acoustique (2002) Sain. Producer, composer and performer.

Moelyci Steave Eaves (2007) Sain. Piano and saxophone.

Penmon Lleuwen Steffan (2007) Gwymon. Recorded one track and co-wrote another.

Danza Negra Banda Bacana (2009) Joscyn. Saxophone, composer of one track.

Chillax Jochen Eisentraut Trio (2009) Sain. Composer, performer, producer.

Documentaries

Você Tem Ritmo,documentary on street samba in Brazil and the UK, broadcast on S4C digital and shown at British Musicological Societies’ conference, University of Surrey, 1999.

Música Nossa, documentary on three youth music groups in Brazil, produced for Anglo-Brazilian NGO Estrela, 2005.

Selected composition commissions

Iesu, Dir. Cefin Roberts (2008) Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. Play by Aled Jones Williams, premiered at the National Eisteddfod. Includes writing for oud (played by Hassan Erraji) and choral work.

Talcen Caled, Dir. Sion Humphreys et.al., S4C. Series I (1999), 6 x 1h. Series II (2001), 6 x 1h. Series III (2002), 6 x 1h. Series IV (2004), 8 x 1h. Series V (2005), 8 x 1h. TV Drama Series; all incidental and title music by Jochen Eisentraut. New incidental music commissioned for each series.

Adagio, Dir. Clive Walley, S4C (2002). Art animation with continuous music.
Jochen Eisentraut composer and collaborator. Premiered at the 2002 London Film Festival. Invited to the 2002 Rotterdam International Film Festival and the 2002 Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Rownd a Rownd, Dir. Dennis Pritchard Jones et al., S4C (1995 – 2007). Young people’s soap opera. Won Best Children’s Programme BAFTA Wales 1996 & 1999.

Light of Uncertainty, Dir. Clive Walley, BBC2 (1997). Art animation with continuous music for ensemble of 7 incl. Alexander Balanescu, vln. and Chris Lawrence bass. Won ‘Best Film at the Cutting Edge’ at British Animation Awards at the ICA 1998.

Y Mynydd Grug, Dir. Angela Roberts, S4C (1997). Period drama feature. Premiered at Aberystwyth International Film Festival, theatrical release in Wales, and broadcast on Christmas Day.

A Manager in Exile, Prod. Alun Ffred, BBC Wales 1994. Documentary.

Fireworks, Prod. Andrew Holmes, Channel 4 (1994). Drama-documentary on English Civil War. Music for archaic instruments.

A-Z of Greek Democracy, Prod. Andrew Holmes, Channel 4 (1994). Drama-documentary. Music includes oriental voice.

Home Ground, Prod. Wil Aaron, HTV (1993-4). History documentary magazine series.

Môr a Mynydd, Dir. Aled Evans, S4C (1993). Includes original music for brass band. Won BAFTA Wales Best Children’s Film.

Divertimento 4, Dir. Clive Walley, BBC2 (1994). Art animation with continuous music. Soundsculpture composition.

Llygad am lygad, Dir. Gareth Lloyd Williams, S4C (1993) 4 x 1h True 19th-century story murder series.

Sgid Hwch, Dir. Alun Ffred, S4C (1992). TV Play, broadcast Christmas Eve. Music for 2 violins, soprano sax, bassoon, percussion.

Spring and Port Wine, Dir. Peter Edwards , S4C (1992). TV Play. Music for flügel horn, piano, cello.

Hel Straeon, Prod. Wil Aaron, S4C(1992 – 1995). Weekly magazine programme.

We Are Seven II, Dir. Ken Horn HTV (1991) Period drama. Orchestral music. Won Best Series, BAFTA Wales.

Chwilio am y Nefoedd, Dir. Mark Evans, S4C (1990). Drama series; atmospheric jazz.

The Heart of the Country, Prod. John Pickstock, S4C (1989). Natural history film. Widely sold abroad.

Barbarossa, Dir. Gareth Wynn Jones, S4C (1990) Thriller series (8 x 1 h). Ensemble music for 8 players.

Deryn I & II, Dir. Alun Ffred, S4C (1986-9). 2 drama series + 2 single dramas.

Caucasian Chalk Circle, Dir. Graham Laker, Cwmni Theatre Gwynedd (1998). Welsh theatre production of Brecht’s play with new score in Eastern European folk style.

We Are Seven, Dir. Alan Clayton, HTV (1989). Family drama Networked UK and several European countries. Won Gold Award for Family Drama at the New York International Film and Television Festival.

Fel Dail Ar Bren, Dir. David Lyn, S4C (1987). Period biographical film of hymn writer Ann Griffiths. Orchestral score. UK networked.

Cysgodion Gdansk, Dir. Gareth Wynn Jones, S4C (1987).. Thiller series. Music for piano quintet.

Wild Heritage, Prod. John Pickstock, HTV (1987). Natural history film. Widely sold abroad.

Blumenfeld, Dir. Gareth Wynn Jones, S4C (1985). Thriller. Piano, cello and voice, performed by Bryn Terfel. Networked Spain.

Sglyfaeth, Dir. Gareth Wynn Jones, S4C (1984). IRA thriller. Atmospheric ‘celtic’ music. Sold widely abroad.