|
........................... |
ELEMENTS OF LOGIC (1972). In this work for
extended wind orchestra, my late fellow composer, Jos Kunst, and I attempted to
experiment with my notion of polyphony as described in BAU
on a variety of levels. But yet another hobbyhorse came into play in this
piece: the phenomenon of ambiguity.
Ambiguity plays a crucial role in every successful work of art that exploits
'surprise' and double meanings. It requires a certain craftiness, that is, a
dexterity of multidimensional thinking, so that the slight-of-hand
works in practice as well as in theory. An example: end = beginning is a commonly-used trick in classical music, where
the last note/harmony of a phrase is the first note/harmony of the next, new
phrase. But high
equals low, much equals little, loud equals soft, fast equals slow, dynamic
equals static etc., are also effective
musical double meanings. And let's not forget the enharmonic link between keys,
a textbook application of ambiguity. Elements
of Logic
is
the product of yet another legacy, one
that comes from preoccupations and experiments that prevailed within the ASKO
climate. It concerns the
need, or indeed the challenge, to treat the compositional process as an
objective and rational endeavour. The mere fact of composing in a team requires that choices and
decisions be expressed and justified in unambiguous terms. Just as the
performers of a work, in order to arrive at a unanimous interpretation, need clear
instructions to complement their musical intuition. At a time when musicians often
indulged in 'artistic' vagueness when expressing musical inspiration or feeling, this was an understandable reaction. The idea that
music is a product of the brain as well as the heart, is sometimes a difficult one to
digest, as people prefer to worship the divine hand of the mysterious and to forget
about the banalities of composition as a craft. The first performance of Elements was given by the Residentie Orkest in the Hague, 1974 and a recording was issued on Composer's Voice 74/75 no. 3. Back to |
|
|
Home Page <> List of Works <> Publications <> Forthcoming events <> Work in progress <> Contacts |