Reliëf (1964) for organ and 4 soundtracks
The work originated in my private electronic music studio. The electronic sound material in the composition is composed of ‘white noise’ (containing all the frequencies in the range of human audibility) and the sound of a metal string. The string resonates, ‘responding’ and ‘returning’ part of the sound material. This process then undergoes transformation in 20 variations. The tape-recorded part opens with four speakers placed in the hall (or church) with organ. The organist has at his disposal a graphic notation of the electronic part and thus ought to keep the score. Two registrants are needed to perform the work, with an assistant helping them at times to operate the manuals. The work consists of three continuous sections: the introduction, the exposition of the material, and the combination of the two in continuous sound. The title suggests the similarity of the composition to a relief, since it is also made from rough, uneven material. (from the Music Information Centre Donemus MuziekGroep Nederland) A large number of metal strings was set in vibration using white noise. This was recorded and combined with live organ. The result had a wind-Iike character. In this way sounds from a live organ blend with vibrating string sounds. Different filterings were produced from these moving sound masses, as I worked like a sculptor chiselling stone to create a relief. Thus it became possible to blend the organ (the instrument creates dynamics mainly by using registration) with the sounds on tape, producing crescendi, diminuendi and different colourations of tone. The graphic appearance of the score is emphasized by the visual representation of the filtering systems. This makes it easy for anyone to read. Relief was exhibited in various museums and galleries, amongst others the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. (from the sleeve notes of the CD Looking Ears 3) Reliëf. The composition bears this title, as the technique used to create it was similar to that employed in sculpting a relief. The work consists of three movements, which proceed without a pause. In the introduction, two extremes in sound are heard: the continuous and the abrupt form. Continuity is characteristic of the electronic material, a regular transitional dynamic that the organ can only partly achieve. The second movement consists of an exposition of all the electronic sound material. The third and most important movement begins with thin, continuous sounds that, after one and a half minutes, evolve into broader gestures. The electronics play an active role in this movement, while the organ is relatively static. The electronic sounds continue to disappear into the organ clusters, only to rise again to the surface. After a gradual crescendo in the organ, the complex motion of the coda is suddenly heard, which concludes the work with reminiscences of the beginning. (from the liner notes to the LP Collage resonance, ca. 1966, EFC 2501)
|