Posts Tagged ‘conductor’

Open Ended: Mark Alburger Variation

Saturday, November 4th, 2023

Open Ended is a dynamic performance crafted live for the audience. Inspired by Rova’s Radar techniques, Open Ended is more of a vibrant palette than a fixed composition. It’s an expanding set of guidelines and games for the musicians, directed by the conductor’s hand signals. Rather than following a predetermined script, the conductor composes on the spot, responding to the present moment and guiding the performers with these signals. This concept mirrors the “Soundpainting” language, a pioneering creation by Walter Thompson in Woodstock, New York, 1974. The beauty of Open Ended lies in its adaptability. With no fixed instrumentation, any number of musicians can partake. The duration is equally fluid, ranging from a brisk 5 minutes to a marathon 24 hours. Though it has been showcased several times, with memorable renditions in 2005, 2009, and 2018 by the SFCCO, each performance is a unique, unrepeatable world première. This rendition of Open Ended includes a special homage to SFCCO founder, Mark Alburger. I have crafted two variations of three phrases, each inspired by the Morse code sequence for ‘Mark George Alburger.’

– – .- .-. -.- / – -. . – – – .-. – -. . / .- .-.. -… ..- – -. . .-.

Rhythm is created by assigning the dashes, or long signals in Morse code, twice the note value of the dots, which represent the short signals. The audience was then given the opportunity to choose which version they wanted to hear incorporated into this performance of Open Ended.

Open Ended: Mark Alburger Variation

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10 Circles

Saturday, October 22nd, 2022

10 Circles

While most are familiar with abstract art and dance, how does that translate to music? Imagine if music were not bound by a linear sequence but played in a random order, resulting in a unique experience every time. Or consider music performed in multiple tempos simultaneously, embracing Albert Einstein’s theory that time is relative and varies based on your perspective.

10 Circles delves into these fascinating ideas through the lens of circle-music, a form I discovered through my composition teacher Dr. Cindy McTee. McTee’s own circle-music composition for my bassoon teacher, Sue Schrier, inspired this exploration. This piece is composed of ten distinct sections, each containing musical phrases that can be played in any sequence at any time. This fluid approach to composition requires a novel style of conducting. Here, the conductor is more than a timekeeper; they sculpt the piece in real-time, influencing its orchestration.

The musicians navigate their own routes through the sections, guided by the surrounding sonic landscape. While themes may reappear, their occurrence and interpreter are entirely unpredictable. 10 Circles employs quartal chords and octatonic scales, creating a sense of tonality that is tangible yet abstract. The result is a work that challenges and redefines our understanding of musical time and structure.

10 Circles

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Open Ended (5/5/2018)

Saturday, May 19th, 2018

Open Ended

 
Open Ended is a very versatile work that is composed live before your eyes and ears. Based on Rova‘s Radar techniques, Open Ended is less of a composition and more of a color or tool palette. It is an ever-growing collection of rules and games for the performers that are triggered by hand signals by the conductor/composer. The conductor/composer then composes the piece live using these hand signals to guide the performers. The ability to compose with what happens in the moment, in real time, is what is required to produce this piece. This similar to the “Soundpainting” language was created by Walter Thompson in Woodstock, New York in 1974. This work has no set instrumentation and can be played by any number of performers. It also has no set length; the piece could last 5 minutes or 24 hours. Open Ended has been performed several times, including performances in 2005 and 2009 by the

   SFCCO, but every time it is a world première and unique performance that can never be repeated.

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Open Ended (redux)

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Open Ended

 
Do to unforeseen circumstances the composition I planed on having performed on the November 7th 2009 SFCCO concert had to be canceled. So I decided to pull out one of my guide improvisation compositions, Open Ended. I conducted/composed this performance as well as played tenor saxophone. It is a very versatile work that is composed live before your eyes and ears. Based on Rova‘s Radar techniques, Open Ended is less of a composition and more of a color or tool palette. It is an ever-growing collection of rules and games for the performers that are triggered by hand signals by the conductor/composer. The conductor/composer then composes the piece live using these hand signals to guide the performers. This work has no set instrumentation and can be played by any number of performers. It also has no set length; the piece could last 5 minutes or 24 hours. Open Ended has been performed several times, including two other performances by the SFCCO, but every time it is a world première and unique performance that can never be repeated.

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Posted in Composition, Guided Improvisation, Orchestral | 4 Comments »

Open Ended

Friday, December 2nd, 2005

Open Ended

 
I had one of my guide improvisation compositions performed by the SFCCO. Open Ended is a very versatile work that is composed before your eyes. This work has no set instrumentation and can be played by any number of performers. It also has no set length; the piece could last 5 minutes or 24 hours. Based on Rova‘s Radar techniques, Open Ended is less of a composition and more of a color or tool palette. It is an ever-growing collection of rules and games for the performers that are triggered by hand signals by the conductor/composer. The conductor/composer then composes the piece live using these hand signals to guide the performers. Open Ended has been performed several times but every time it is a world première and unique performance that can never be repeated.

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Posted in Composition, Guided Improvisation, Orchestral | 1 Comment »