Processing (2010)
for solo viola and small orchestra
written for the New York Philharmonic's "Composers Studio" project
(This piece was written in the context of a yearlong project with the New York Philharmonic where eight young composers were selected to compose new concertos for members of the orchestra, under the guidance of Magnus Lindberg. At the conclusion of this workshop, the funding for the performance of all eight new works suddenly fell through, leaving them all unperformed. So, if any violists out there are interested in premiering a new concerto, be in touch!)
In Processing, the solo Viola and the orchestra function as an integrated circuit, with the soloist providing an input that is (metaphorically) amplified, filtered, processed, or elaborated by the ensemble. Sometimes this circuit is "mechanical," as in organ or accordion registration-- a note played by the viola is doubled at various octaves by the orchestra, creating synthetic timbres. At other times, it follows an "electronic" metaphor, with the orchestra altering the viola's sound by means of acoustic analogs to various studio techniques-- granulation, FM-synthesis, distortion, sampling. Switches between various "patches" or registrations always occur abruptly, triggered by a loud mechanical sound played by the percussionist.
Another metaphorical conceit of the piece is that the "circuit" between the viola and the orchestra is heavily amplified, such that any time the violist stops playing, the orchestra begins to "feed back," like an idling amplifier. The pitch material of these feedback sections derives from the 60 Hz line-noise hum of all amplifiers (and electrical devices) in the U.S., a pitch that falls between A#1 and B1.
instrumentation: solo viola and small orchestra (2.2.2.2(2=Cbsn), 2.2.1., 2 perc., Hrp., 4.4.3.3.1)
duration: 11'
date: 2010