Polyphonies I (©2008) [20:53]

 

Polyphonies I is the first section of a three-part electronic composition based on the idea of the emergence of multivoiced musical phenomena out of elementary sound quanta (pulses, tones, protomelodies, etc.).  Subtitled Earth -- Air -- Fire -- Water, Polyphonies I explores a sound world generated by these natural substances, along with electronically synthesized sounds which resemble them; additional sounds were composed through electronic transformations of the above mentioned sounds. 

Polyphonies I is composed in three sections which use periodic, exponential and linear subdivisions respectively.  The first section utilizes mainly wind sounds, the sections uses primarily earth and fire sounds, and the third section explores water sounds along with the other sounds.  The shakuhachi, a vertical bamboo flute which is highly identified with nature in the Japanese tradition, is used in this 'performance' version, and plays a semi-improvised part which symbolized the development of music from breath.  The shakuhachi sounds were then processed and recomposed into the fabric of the original electronic composition.

When great Nature sighs, we hear winds

Which noiseless in themselves

Awaken voices from other beings.

Blowing on them.

From every opening loud voices sound

Have you not heard this rush of tones?

  

The original electronic part of Polyphonies I was realized in the Oberlin Electronic Music Studio during the autumn of 1975. Reprocessing, and recording and development of the shakuhachi parts took place in Furious Artisans, Dreamflower Studio in Bronxville, New York with the assistance of Jeremy Tressler in 2003 and 2008.