Composition for Composers #1
These compositions seek to address the situation where there are more worthy composers than concert space can accomodate.
Nuclear Simphony #1
for 2 to 18 composers
There are 5 movements maximum in a performance each involving following number of composers. Each movement can be performed separately
Movement A-5 composers
Movement B-2 composers
Movement C-3 composers
Movement D-2 composers
Movement E-5 composers
The following is determined ahead of time.
the instrumentation
a set tempo throughout.
the tuning or tunings
Each movement can be between 90 seconds to approx. 7 minutes.
The composition is constructed in three steps.
A. The construction of a nuclear melody.
The nuclear melody is composed with each composer adding an equal part to the melody in rotation (from 1 to 4 notes) . The goal should be to maintaining enough simplicity for subsequent lines to later be written without disrupting the flow. Multiples of a quarter note with a half note being the common unit. The melody ends when a composer chooses to end for their turn.
B. Once the nuclear melody is written each composer determines where they are going write and where they are going to rest with beginning and ending points coinciding with the nuclear melody. this information is shared between composers and composers are allowed to modify their decisions.
C. final parts are written by composers and shared either before or in rehearsal with the inserts of further rest allowed and minor changes.
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Nuclear Simphony #2 for percussion
(two versions - pulse based or time based)
for 3 to 16 composers each writing for one percussion player.
The following is to be determined in advance:
A.The instrumentation based on available percussion instruments.
B. The number of movements (1-x) each with a set tempo or time scale
This composition is based on the idea of a nuclear melody except of rhythm. The next step is instead of having a set rhythmic point that is shared by all, rests or silences are used instead
The composition is constructed in three steps.
A. Taking the set tempo or timescale, each composer in rotation composes points or spans of rest in which will remain silent during the piece. If a pulse is present, A rest should be at least one beat long. A composer chooses the ending of the piece instead of inserting further rest.
B. Each composer composes their own section incorporating these areas of rest.
C. upon comparison before or during rehearsal slight modifications of each part is possible.
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New party pieces
For any number of composers
starting at the end each composer composes a bar of music plus 2 notes of the preceding measure. and exquisite corpse in reverse.
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The Curved Space of Tetrachords
for any number of composers
(two possible versions)
live version:
instrumentation is determined beforehand.
each composer picks a tetrachord in a specific range and composes up to 20 seconds of music using it solely. volume is determined by the duration with ………..
each composer chooses the duration of rest following it up to 30 seconds afterwards. Pieces are played back in random order.
electronic version:
Each composer picks a tetrachord in a specific range and composes and records it