Variation on Goldberg Variation #15 #
This piece was composed for Duo Kondens (My Eklund, recorder, and Lisa Oscarsson, organ) on commission for the project Goldberg 1.5, supported by Konstnärsnämnden. The concept departed from J.S. Bach’s famous Goldberg Variations, and five composers were asked to do a variation on a selected original variation.
I selected variation no. 15, which is a the first variation in a minor key, and a turning point in Bach’s overall composition. Inspired by my previous experience of Bach’s music, and a fascination for his remarkable ability to fit musical material into very rigid frameworks – often infused with religious motives and biblical numerology – I decided to filter the variation through a rigid system of my own. Here, I revisited my magical number triangle, invented during my early composition studies. Each part of Bach’s score passed through this algorithm, slowly traversing the original variation, and transforming it into a recomposed version of the piece, but also into something entirely different.
Sinew0od #
The Sinew0od system was originally designed for a piece written for Paetzold contrabass recorder player Anna Petrini and live electronics, premiered at Casa da Musica in Porto in 2008. It was included as one of the systems explored in my doctoral thesis, and is further elaborated on in mine and Robert Ek’s article Exploring Sinew0od, the book as well as on the appurtenant Research Catalogue Exposition. The content below is an edited version of the RC exposition.
The electronics comprise a feedback network, modulated by the performer’s playing and by moving inside the system according to a score. The piece shows certain aspects of how a musical instrument can be radically altered by such an extension, not only in the timbral sense but also in how it needs adaptation and requires new playing techniques to be learned by the performer.
Modularity #
As shown above, the abstract model of the system constitutes several modules. First, there can be one or more human or non-human players. Their function is to excite the resonant body and to set parameters of the feedback system and the feedback controller, and to adapt to the final output, according to the score.
Second, the system contains something to excite the instrument and the feedback system. Typically, this is an integrated part of an instrument (e.g. a mouthpiece, a bow, etc.).
Third, a crucial and defining part of Sinew0od is some kind of resonant body that becomes part of the feedback system. Usually, this is also an integrated part of an instrument, but it can also be a virtual, physical model, or an external acoustic resonator.
Fourth, the feedback system used has so far consisted of two small speakers (Philips SBA-1500) and one or several microphones that were fed back to those speakers using a small mixer or an audio interface. Those speakers were originally chosen because they were cheap, portable and relatively easy to attach to the instrument in the original version of the piece (the Paetzold Contrabass recorder). However, they turned out to have quite distinct sonic character when overdriven, which has since been regarded as an important quality of the system.
Fifth, there is a feedback controller with the function of governing the feedback, trying to steer it into more predictable territory. This has usually been achieved by both using an equalizer (e.g., the built-in EQ of the mixer, or similar digital filters in the computer), and by mixing in other prepared sounds into the feedback network. Usually, a custom Max patch was used for these prepared sounds, controlled by a switch pedal to move further as the piece goes on, and an analogue volume pedal to control the amount of the steering effect.
Finally, a written score describing interactions within the system is included. This might easily be misunderstood as less significant for the system, but as demonstrated in the patches section, the work identity of Sinew0od is largely dependent on these interactions.
Original version for Paetzold contrabass recorder #
The original piece was composed following several workshops exploring how the Paetzold contrabass recorder behaved inside the feedback network. The collaborative process with Petrini, and her expert knowledge of the instrument and its subtleties, was very important for my understanding of the system – later carried over into the transcriptions below.
The piece was recorded for Anna Petrini’s portrait album Crepusculo, released by dB Productions, 2012.
Transcription for Bass clarinet #
To study the Sinew0od system further, and how this quite specific system responded to changes, I made a transcription for bass clarinet in collaboration with clarinetist Robert Ek. The resulting piece was presented for the first time on March 26, 2021, at a public concert at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. This study was thoroughly presented in a co-authored article for the ECHO Journal’s thematic issue on feedback (Petersson & Ek, 2022).
Other Transcriptions #
Within my doctoral project I also made an experimental transcription for Halldorophone in collaboration with cellist My Hellgren, and a completely re-composed version of the piece’s constituent parts for Buchla synthesizer, presented in the Electronic music section.
1st Application #
1st Application for flute, violin, cello, piano and computer was written for and commissioned by the ensemble The Pearls Before Swine in 2005. All material in the piece was derived from a magical number triangle I invented during my early composition studies, and that was further studied during my PhD project. There are two harmonic processes in the piece. The musicians play one of them and the computer plays the other. Just like the musicians, the computer performs its part slightly different each time it is played.
1st Application was included on the cd Debris reassembled released on Phono Suecia in 2010.
Stress Patterns #
Stress Patterns exist in two different versions. It was originally commissioned by Rikskonserter and EMS for the Italian ensemble Alter Ego. The first performance took place at the Italian Institute in Stockholm on November 18, 2010. In parallell with working with the chamber version I wrote a version for Disklavier player piano and electronics. The latter version was premiered at Artisten in Göteborg on April 4, 2011, and in retrospect, I find this version to be the one that is sonically closest to the artistic idea.
4th Application #
This piece for flute quartet and electronics was written for the project The opposing Power. It was a collaboration between the flute ensemble 40f and the now defunct electronic trio World Domination, comprised of myself, Daniel M Karlsson, and Jonatan Liljedahl.
The recording below is from a concert in Härnösand, 20121024.
The flutes are played by 40f, comprised of Ann Elkjär, Jill Widén, Sareidah Hildebrand, and Anna Svensdotter. The electronic parts are performed by World Domination.
Sustained and loose #
Piece for steel-stringed acoustic guitar and live-electronics. Commissioned and performed by Mårten Falk. From the CD The Eclectric Guitar Experience released on dB Productions 2010.
