Concert Report #1:
ÉuCuE Series XXV
Concert 4
By: Nick Maturo
Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2006 @ 8:00 pm
Location: Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, Montreal, Quebec
Featured composers:
Ivica Ico Bukvic
Bruce Hamilton
Sam Pluta
Ivanova
J Anthony Allan
Douglas Geers
Yota Kobayashi
Greg Dixon
Scott Smallwood
Francis Dhomont
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Hall & Set-up
Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, completed in 1989, seats 570 people. The hall was designed to house concerts and live music, therefore acoustics are obviously of the utmost importance. Accordingly, the sound in the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall is high quality, and the hall itself can be adjusted depending on the type of sound desired.
As with any electroacoustic concert in the concert all, additional speakers have been added to supplement the existing sound system. Although more speakers can be used, Kevin Austin informed the audience that they are running a reduced system of only eight channels, largely due to the SEAMUS pieces featured being stereo in nature. These speakers encircled the lower section of the concert hall, with two in the front positioned at the edge of the stage, pair of speakers along the wall on either side of the room, and two speakers behind the lower section of the hall. This made it so that the best sound could be heard sitting in the middle of the hall in this lower seating section.
Themes
The theme of the concert series operated specifically on three levels: first, to celebrate the eightieth birthday of pioneering electronic composer Karlheinz Stockhausen in 2008, and the twenty-fifth anniversary of his landmark piece Gesang der Jünglinge; secondly, to celebrate the eightieth birthday of renowned Quebec composer Francis Dhomont; and lastly, as a presentation of clips created for SEAMUS, The Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States. Originally founded in 1984, SEAMUS is a non-profit organization that brings together teachers, composers, and performers in the domain of electroacoustic music from all over the country. As such, two lengthier pieces by each of the composer being honored were featured towards the end of the concert, after a number of comparatively short pieces from SEAMUS Electroclips 2004, with the exception of one by Canadian composer Yota Kobayashi. Each piece could be clearly situated within this context thanks to the program, as SEAMUS Electroclips were marked with asterisks, and Dhomont and Stockhausen were clearly indicated as the two final pieces.
Audience
There were somewhere between 15 and 20 people in attendance, and most tended to crowd in the middle of the hall, as Kevin Austin indicated this was where the sound was the best. The hall middle section was not entirely full when I arrived, therefore I found a seat slightly to the left of center, and more or less in the area Mr. Austin had recommended. In general, the hall, which is fairly large, was empty except for a small concentration of people as indicated. Most attendees seemed to be electroacoustics students, as many were taking notes during the concert. There were also several older, presumably non-student members of the audience listening attentively throughout the show. From what I could tell, everyone in attendance paid attention during the pieces, and seemed to enjoy the concert as a whole.
Each of the SEAMUS Electroclips pieces were originally composed in stereo, and thus were projected mostly to front of the hall. Francis Dhomont’s piece, however, was played using proper 8-channel sound projection, and truly made full use of all speakers available and the environment as a whole. Stockhausen’s piece used only four channels, as it was originally composed for that specific number. Every piece seemed to make full use of the concert hall environment by enveloping the listener in the sounds and creating a number of interesting movement effects, such as circling the hall or bouncing from one speaker to another on the opposite side of the room.
Pieces
Ivica Ico Bukovic
All Your Sprache Are Belong To Strauss (2004)
1'09"
The first of the SEAMUS pieces, this one set the tone for what would follow by utilizing the vocal samples provided to all artists who wished to submit a piece for Electroclips 2004. This piece was heavily reliant on rhythm, and also had a melodic accent. Despite being originally composed in stereo, it was diffused so as to fill the entire hall to a greater degree. While an interesting piece, it almost felt like background music for a commercial rather than typical ÉuCuE fare, but I would assume this is in keeping with many of the other SEAMUS pieces, which tried to bring a more light-hearted tone to the table.
Bruce Hamilton
Rudy Madcap dance wash (2004)
1'41"
The second SEAMUS piece again used vocal samples, but also employed crowd noise to a significant degree. Again, it had a strong rhythmic emphasis.
Sam Pluta
Russell Wields His Presidential Gavel (2003)
1'48"
Sam Pluta’s piece for Electroclips 2004 continued the rhythmic trend seen in the first to pieces, but also added more depth. The piece employed drones to a significant degree, and also had a glitch-like effect repeated throughout. In terms of its spatial characteristics, there was heavy use of stereo panning to accentuate horizontal movement in this piece.
Ivanova
The Most Basic Level [2004]
1'54"
The fourth SEAMUS piece used vocal samples, as all of them did, but employed looping and feedback throughout the piece to take it in a direction that was different from the previous Electroclips. Again, there was a significant stereo panning effect in terms of the movement of the piece throughout the hall.
J Anthony Allan
Rhapsody (2004)
1'59"
Rhapsody seemed to employ vocal samples, as the other pieces did, but in a far more restrained sense. The piece was limited to a smaller number of samples, which were repeated throughout the piece. The piece also included drones, and made use of panning effects, just as others had, to create a strong sense of movement in the piece. This perhaps helps to make the piece more dynamic or interesting in lieu of the limited vocal materials used.
Douglas Geers
Wormy (2004)
2'00"
Douglas Geers’ piece was one of the more interesting of the Electroclips 2004 pieces, as it was by far one of the more abstract pieces. This was particularly notable due to the vocal samples being more obscure and less recognizable, whereas previous pieces were perhaps too obvious at times. Like others, it had a distinct rhythmic aspect, which I found enjoyable. It also employed hissing and static effects with great success. Perhaps most importantly of all, it made use of all eight available channels in a more significant way than any previous piece, which made for a more gripping and interesting listening experience.
Yota Kobayashi
Reminiscence (2006)
5'00"
Yota Kobayashi, an emerging Canadian sonic artist, provided a nice break from the shorter SEAMUS pieces with his 5’ work, Reminiscence. In I, he took an acousmatic approach, and worked with the concept of a soundscape from which memory is transformed. Throughout the piece, there was a strong interplay between the recognizable and the unrecognizable, with certain elements sounding familiar to the listener and perhaps having some connotation, while others were far more abstract. The piece employed a high-pitched drone, as well as “chugging” noises that were reminiscent of industrial machinery (obviously, this piece was aptly titled…). Reverb was also featured a great deal throughout the piece, but the effect never felt overused. Lastly, while the ebb and flow of dynamics was continuously active throughout the piece, it never reached a very loud volume, and was somewhat more restrained than previous pieces.
Greg Dixon
SEAMUSN’T (2004)
1'43"
With a return to the SEAMUS pieces, Greg Dixon presented a work, which made a greater use of pitched sounds than was found in earlier pieces. The pitch and duration varied in a way that I found quite intriguing, and which really drew me in. Dynamics were also emphasized through the use of quick swells in volume. This piece also made good use of the 8 channels and provided interesting movement in the spatial field.
Scott Smallwood
Sorrywrongfloor (2004)
1'59"
Scott Smallwood’s piece was the most narrative of any of the SEAMUS Electroclips, as it actually followed the progression of what was meant to sound like riding an elevator over several floors. The vocal samples were used in a way that represented a new floor, as if the doors were opening and the listener was presented with a new situation and group of people in conversation. In this regard, it along with the Douglas Geers’ piece, took a more interesting and fresh approach to using the SEAMUS vocal samples, whereas some others were more predictable. It was certainly one of the most playful pieces featured during the concert.
Before continuing on to the final two pieces, I feel it is important to summarize any overall trends that may have been present in the Electroclips 2004 pieces, as they are so short that it can be easy to miss out on important characteristics when dealing with them on an individual level. In general, they were all vocal-based, although some were less obvious with these samples than others, particularly in the case of Douglas Geers’ piece. There was also a recurring emphasis on rhythm, which I found surprising and quite refreshing, as previous electroacoustic concerts I have attended have bee lacking in pieces of this nature. In general, while they were difficult to follow at times due to their length and the sheer number of things going on in the pieces, they were all well executed and quite enjoyable, and really added to the pacing of the concert as a whole.
Francis Dhomont
Sous le regard d’un soleil noir (1979-81)
52'00"
After a brief intermission, the audience returned for Francis Dhomont’s 52-minute Sous le regard d’un soleil noir, which, according to Kevin Austin, is not often performed due to its long length. The piece itself is based on texts from a number of authors, including R.D. Lang, Plato, and Franz Kafka. It is meant to be a projection of the forms of schizophrenia, and presents what seemed to me like a sonic representation of the inner turmoil that individuals suffering from this crippling ailment might experience. In terms of form, the piece is divided into 8 sections of fairly equal length, each separated by ten to twelve seconds of silence. The most striking element of the piece is the use of voice, as it presents both a narrative and a textural element as it is transformed throughout the piece. These voices are both male and female, with at least two different men lending their vocal talents by my count. Instrumental sounds were also used, particularly the piano and some kind of stringed instrument. Whereas the string sounds were used more as sound objects, the piano was almost allowed to occupy a more traditionally musical role, although it was still undoubtedly an electroacoustic piece overall. As the piece progressed through the many sections, the sound generally began to appear more processed to my ears, and there were more “noise” sounds apparent, whether it was glitch effects or white noise sounds. The piece eventually resolved to a quieter finale, with the repeated use of dripping or water sounds which felt like the calm after the storm. The piece made significant use of all 8 channels, and perhaps was one of the most striking electroacoustic pieces I have ever heard in a multichannel set-up in this regard. Sounds moved in a circular motion at times, while at other points, sounds would pop up in different speakers in a seemingly unpredictable fashion.
While it may be by far the longest piece I have ever heard at a Concordia electroacoustic concert, it was also one of the most enjoyable and most impressive. It was more riveting through its full 52’ than other much shorter pieces have been, including Stockhausen’s Kontakte, the next longest piece I have heard presenting. While this was the first Francis Dhomont piece I have ever heard, I am encouraged to listen to more, because it was easily one of the best pieces I have heard presented in this year’s concert series.
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Gesang der Jünglinge (year not specified)
14'00"
Last but not least came Stockhausen’s Gesang der Jünglinge. While I am familiar with some of his work, I had not heard this piece before. Luckily, I was not disappointed, as I found it more engrossing than Kontakte (not that it is a bad piece, I have just found it a bit long at past concerts). Composed in either 1953 or 1954 (no exact year was given), it is an incredibly calculated piece, in that each individual sound had to be spliced together. Stockhausen worked largely with the sound of a young boy’s soprano voice, and processed from there. The entire piece consisted of the interplay between largely unprocessed vocal sounds, and those which were edited into fast clicks and pops or longer tones. Initially, it was mostly voice, but the piece soon became populated with noise sounds as well. A slower and sparser section followed, which was eventually succeeded by a louder section consisting of these clicks and pops and the boy’s voice. Certain parts would begin with the predominant emphasis on voice, which would then be overshadowed by the use of processed sounds. While it was played in only four channels, it presented more spatial movement than many of the previous pieces (likely because they were composed in stereo, while four channels was how Stockhausen intended his piece to be presented). Voices would echo each other in different speakers, and clicking sounds could sweep around the listener. Overall, I found it easier to digest than Kontakte, largely due to the shorter length and the more recognizable sounds employed (the boy’s voice). A fitting end to an intriguing and enjoyable evening of “music”.