Spectral colours for Ensemble and Stereo Tape (1997 – revised 2007)
Genre: Instrumental and
Tape
Duration: ca. 11:30 minutes
Description of
the work:
The piece is
conceived only with the notes C, D, and B natural and their first 13 overtones.
These overtones are transported to a scale from the lowest to the highest with
the piece starting in the middle (note D4) and then going constantly and simultaneously
upwards and downwards from that point. The intervals of the scale (considering the
semitone as the counting unit) result in the following numbers: 11 (major 7th),
1 (minor second), 0.8 (a lower minor second), etc. The proportions ruling the entire
work (i.e. form, rhythms, etc.) are also derived from the relationship of the notes
of the scale.
The number 14 has
also an important meaning e.g.: 14 overtones; 14 instruments; once the first 14
notes of the scale have been played, there are always 14 tones for each chord.
The tape part was
produced also with the 3 afore-mentioned notes, played and recorded "sul
ponticello" on a viola and further transposed and treated with several
filter chains and reverb (via Csound), so that
the "overtone quality" of the "sul
ponticello" notes could be maintained and intensified also for lower
transpositions.
Because the
instrumentation constantly changes, new "colours" are produced by the
ensemble, playing the always different "spectral colours".
Technical data:
·
ENSEMBLE with 14
instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet in B,
bass- clarinet in B (with low B), trumpet in C, horn, trombone, 1x percussion
(see details on the score), piano, 2x violins, viola, cello, double-bass.
·
ELECTRONICS:
o
Stereo tape (CD)
with quadraphonic projection (1997 Version)
o
5.1 Surround
sound via MAX software (2007 Version)
·
1x microphone for the percussion.
·
Time Code: SMPTE display visible to
the conductor (e.g. from MAX).