Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:20 PM
Local Orchestra (2008, indeterminate length)
A large number of pitched, sustaining instruments spread out evenly across a large performance space.
Acoustic situation such that it's possible, from every position, to hear every performer, but also such that it's always possible to tell nearby sounds from more distant sounds.
Two movements:
1. Consonant Orchestras
2. Dissonant Orchestras
The two movements are played attacca.
In both movements, all performers decide individually when to play and what pitch to play, within the following conditions:
Consonant Orchestras:
1. A performer may start playing any pitch if nobody else is playing.
2. If there are already people playing, a performer may only start playing if at least one instrument seated nearby is playing. The pitch played is based on any pitch that is being played by a performer nearby. It may either be the same pitch, or differ from that pitch by a perfect fourth or a perfect fifth; and the pitch chosen may be transposed into any octave.
3. Notes may end at any time, but durations should mostly be long.
4. Maximum dynamic: mp.
5. The movement may not end until every performer has played at least two notes.
6. Within this movement, there must be at least four moments which have nobody playing (dividing the movement into at least five phrases). These silences may last up to about 15 seconds.
7. A much longer silence (at least 60 seconds) following the last phrase signals the end of this movement and the beginning of the second movement.
Dissonant Orchestras:
1. After the long silence, any one performer may start playing the second movement by playing any pitch.
2. After the first performer has started playing, performers may start playing a note at any time. The pitch chosen should be based on the pitch that is being played by the nearest performer currently playing. It may either be the same pitch, or differ from that pitch by at most a minor second; and the pitch chosen may be transposed into any octave.
3. All durations long to very long.
4. Maximum dynamic: pp.
5. The movement may not end until every performer has played at least five notes.
6. This movement is in one phrase - there are no silent moments until the end.
7. A long silence may follow the last note.
# re: Local Orchestra
10/18/2008 1:50 AM by
Great score, Samuel. The prose score is alive and well!