the silence that reigns… for large spatialized ensemble
A large chamber ensemble is scattered around the stage into five distinctive groups. The idiosyncratic positioning allows for novel sonic structures to be constructed, as well as the possibility to place the listener inside those structures at various angles and perspectives . These structures are built from different materials: metal, glass, ceramic and unusual amalgamations.
The structures are large and luminous, deep with intricate patterns along their walls. Their architecture is too fragile and volatile to exist in a physical world, with angles and proportions too askew. They are singular spaces that can only be held together in a sonic realm.Throughout the piece, the chamber ensemble shifts perspectives of complex sounds, by articulating different parameters of that sound. For example, when a chopstick is scrapped against the tamtam, one hears the resonant metallic vibrations, but also the quiet and gritty scraping of the wood against the metal. The ensemble zooms in to emphasize one characteristic such as the resonance during one moment, while articulating the scrape later on.
The large scale and slow tempo give room for the listener to wander inside the sound, to hear its intricate details. It allows for unpredictable and fragile sounds to breath, so that the volatile and erratic quality creates a layer of richness and depth to the sound. Yet, throughout the piece, there is a constant extracting of energy inside the seemingly stagnant worlds; zooming in, once again, to extract micro-movements. Nothing is ever still, there is always change and motion, even in the quietest and most seemingly silent space.
Premiered by ECO Ensemble, Berkeley, CA, USA. 2011