for solo saxophone(s) (played by Daniel Kientzy) and sound icon (played by Horaţiu Rădulescu).
THE SOUND ICON: a grand piano laying vertically on its side, with the strings
played by bowing.
ASTRAY op. 50 for Double Duo was composed for the Roma Villa Medici Musica Festival where it premiered in 1984. The score consists of 81 paintings using symbols from ancient languages. These 81 micro-music entities were photographed and projected as slides during the performance. In addition to its ancient alphabet symbol, each image contains precise indications for the two players: the saxophone player performs on six saxophones (bass, baritone, tenor, alto, soprano, sopranino) which hang from a frame, the other player performs on a Sound Icon.
This duo plays simultaneously with another identical duo. Both duos perform the same score, but at different speeds. The first duo performs the score twice: slowly at first, faster the succeeding time the second duo performs the score once during the same time span very slowly.
1st Duo A'---------------*-----A''--------*
2nd Duo A'''-----------------------*--------
It should be noted that each (4 of the 81 micro-music entities (the chain of those three aspects of the same score: (A', A", A"') appears at three different moments of the macro-music and develops its own "inner life" within three different times. The "golden number" (0.618034/1.00) - sectio aurea - determines all of these time proportions.
This macro-formal process affects our subconscious, often creating a sensation of remembrance or premonition merging into a magic trance. The ancient symbols are mnemotechnical indications for the specific performance technique required for each micro-music. Their colors indicate the six registers (from low to high: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet).
These special techniques of sound production reinforce the spectral energy (variable distribution) of each event or chain of events (spectral pulse). Four simultaneous levels of perceptual speed occur; MMT - macro-macro time of the 22'45"macro-form tension; mMT - micromacro time as pulse of the 3 x 81 micromusic entities, each of which lasting between 5" and 34"; MmT - macro-micro time of the rhythm produced by the actual onsets, and mmT - micro-micro time, intrinsic rhythm of the sound material up to
333 timbral transformations per second, contributing to the spectral enhancement
of each event.
All sounds notated in the score are performed live and are not electronically modulated. The cause (sound source) and the effect (sound parameters) are rendered unrecognizable by the special techniques of sound production.
In this particular studio recording, the two duos were recorded in playback with Daniel Kientzy and the composer. For a concert performance, 4 to 7 players are required (the Sound lcons (3 & 2) require 5 players); the two duos are disposed around the audience. The score, projected from slides, contributes to the visual "environrnent".
- Horaţiu Rădulescu
16 окт 2012
