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Red Thirst


The desert, burning heat, trembling horizon, thirst.
Spun soundscapes, consisting of chords with the seven tones from the diatonic scale. By inverting the order of the notes in the scale (C-B-A etc. instead of C-D-E etc.) and as a result building up sevenths, a broad sound is achieved, which has also determined the instrumentation of the work. The ensemble consists of instruments which are able to deal with extreme registers, such as the contrabassoon, bass clarinet and the harmonium.
Goal in this ‘sound’ composition was to create certain logic in the succession of clusters. Structuralizing the chords is achieve ‘quasi’ according to classical functional harmony; for example G follows C *. This functional harmonic presence is apparent, however subcutaneous because of the cluster-like effect of the chords, and lack of rhythm. Also the overlapping of chords, and the use of appoggiaturas, anticipations and auxiliaries, troubles the clarity of harmonic functional awareness.


* In spite of the fact that reference is made here to harmonic functionality in classical sense, the term chord does not refer to triads.


Edward Top

 



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