“A flower does not use words to announce its arrival to the world; it just blooms.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
Year: 2021 | Duration: 8′ | Cello and Live Electronics
Full score available on Scores page
Description
Bloom is a piece for violoncello and live electronics that explores tension, using the metaphor of a blooming flower as the basis from which the musical material and form are derived. The work begins with a very simple melodic idea using natural harmonics. These harmonics are developed throughout the piece, eventually blurring the line between pitch and noise, meter and aleatory, and acoustic and electronic elements. The electronic element of the piece is realized using live input from the cello only. This relies on specific musical parameters (namely amplitude and frequency) to control how the input is processed. The piece concludes with a quasi-recapitulation of the opening, this time incorporating non-harmonic tones. This is the most mature statement of the original melodic idea in the piece, which signifies completion of the flowering process.
Technical Requirements
- Two-channel audio interface
The electronic sounds used in the piece come solely from the live input to the microphone. There are no triggers for the individual sections, and no MIDI keyboard or instrument is required. Instead, the processing is controlled via specific musical parameters. The resulting sound is not notated in the score since it will sound different for repeat performances.
Commissioner
Eduard Teregulov