English
virtual bodies
for piano and live-electronics year: 2017 duration: 13:30 min studio: Harvard University Studios for Electroacoustic Composition
first performance: March 27, 2018
by H.T. , Keller Hall, University of New Mexico
The relationship between instruments and electronics has occupied my work for the past 35 years. The piano always played a unique role as it was my first instrument: 'Das Bleierne Klavier,' 'Zellen-Linien,' 'Shadow of bells' and 'Irrgaerten' are large-scale compositions, all putting a magnifying glass on specific compositional aspects.'virtual bodies' is based on an improvised piano part and a set of possibilities to treat sound and time in the electronics. Real and virtual sonorities enter into a dialogue where clear lines are blurred, and definitions of action/reaction redesigned throughout the piece. The electronics part does not contain pre-established layers but is entirely created in real-time, aiming for memory connections within the work and a rich polyphony.
Performance on May 11, 2019, Harvard University
Premiere at UNM, Albuquerque on March 27, 2018
(listen with headphones if possible)
technical requirements:
2 microphones (e.g.Neumann 184)
8-channel loudspeaker system, sourrounding the public
laptop MacBook Pro
soundcard RME Fireface
2 MIDI-sustain pedals
2 MIDI-expression pedals
1 MIDI Expression converter sustain-to-MIDI
The piece can be performed with a sound card only (without a mixer).
In that case the sound card provides phantom power to the microphones and
connects directly to the 8 loudspeakers.
