bject Dialgues by Benjamin Wylie B.M., Bstn Cnservatry, 2014 Prject Submitted in Partial Fulfillment f the Requirements fr the Degree f Master f Fine Arts in the Schl fr the Cntemrary Arts Faculty f Cmmunicatin, Art and Technlgy Benjamin Wylie 2016 SIMN FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2016 Cyright in this wrk rests with the authr. Please ensure that any rerductin r re-use is dne in accrdance with the relevant natinal cyright legislatin.
Arval Name: Benjamin Wylie Degree: Master f Fine Arts (Interdiscilinary Studies) Title: bject Dialgues Examining Cmmittee: Chair: Arne Eigenfeldt Prfessr wen Underhill Senir Suervisr Prfessr Steven Hill Suervisr Assciate Prfessr Christher Butterfield External Examiner Assciate Prfessr Schl f Music University f Victria Date Defended/Arved: ctber 18, 2016 ii
Abstract bject Dialgues is a cmsitin fr 13 erfrmers that cnsists f a series f cmsed actins and events that exlre the musicality f nn-musical actins, the ercetin f sace, the visualizatin/snificatin f natural cycles such as heart beats r breathing, the bjectificatin f instruments, and the instrumentalizatin f bjects. Thrughut the iece, the erfrmers interact with a number f bjects, ranging frm the extic t the banal, revealing the erfrmative tential f the things that surrund us. The erfrmance venue is cntinuusly shaed and re-shaed thrugh shifting light, mving sund, mbile erfrmers, and bth vertical and hrizntal satializatin. The intended result resembles a living sace, changing and reacting t external factrs imsed un it. This examinatin f hw light and sund interact with sace, blurs the lines between theatre, erfrmance art, and cntemrary music; as cmsitinal material is exanded t include actins beynd thse traditinally cnsidered t be "musical". Keywrds: music cmsitin; micrtnal music; cntemrary theatre iii
Acknwledgements Thanks t wen Underhill, Steven Hill, Ben Rgalsky, Celeste English, Alexandra Sence, Liam Hckley, Mia Gazley, Janine King, Alex Mah, Matt Ariaratnam, Matt Hrrigan, Martin Reisle, Tegan Wahlgren, Ellit Vaughn, Marina Hasselberg, Dave Chkrun, Alanna H, my MFA chrt, and my arents iv
Table f Cntents Arval... ii Abstract... iii Acknwledgements... iv Table f Cntents...v Chater 1. Defence Statement... 1 verview... 1 Harmny... 2 Rhythm... 5 Light... 7 bjects... 9 Sace... 10 Cnclusin... 12 Chater 2. bject Dialgues... 14 Chater 3. Theatricalized Music: Histry, Cntext, and Analysis... 57 n Theater... 58 n Cmsitin... 61 A Brief Histry... 63 Jennifer Walshe HYGIENE... 69 Bibligrahy... 74 Aendix: Vide Dcumentatin... 75 v
Chater 1. Defence Statement verview In many ways, bject Dialgues can be thught f as a etri dish f ideas. By lacing these diffuse and varied ideas int a cntainer and creating a situatin in which they interact with ne anther, unexected cnnectins and relatinshis are created. Many f these ideas have dee and cmlex structures underinning them and it is within this dialgue f sund, light, bjects, sace, and erfrmers that these structures calesce int a cmlete ercetual exerience. The rcess f cmsitin reflects this idea f the 'etri dish', as multile test ieces were written in rder t devel material and test ut articular ways f wrking with light, sace, and sund. The result f this rcess was that each individual cncet began t devel its wn structural cmlexity that was further cmunded when brught int cntact with the ther asects f the cmsitin. This stacking f structures creates a situatin that is nt dissimilar t a living thing, in which rcesses and cycles bth seen and unseen interact t create a whle. The varied arach t cmsing with sund, light, and sace creates a new kind f ercetual hierarchy that des nt fit int either the sund-fcus f the cncert r the visual-fcus that is generally fund in theatre. The gal f bject Dialgues was t create an exerience that ges beynd the standard bundaries f music r theatre, twards a kind f erfrmance that embraces a ure and multisensry exerience f sace. The audience is nt required t engage in any way ther than their wn immediate ercetin. N meaning is intentinally cmmunicated, n narrative is included, nthing but the rcesses and structures are rvided by the cmser. The assciatins ne inevitably brings t the erfrmance infrm this exerience, but this asect is left entirely t the audience. The exerience is analgus t a walk thrugh a frest n a well-maintained athway. Yu are being guided thrugh a landscae shaed by numerus visible and invisible rcesses, but the ath thrugh this envirnment is nt under yur cntrl and the ercetual cnnectins made between the varius elements are shaed nt by the land itself but rather the walker's ersnal exerience f it. 1
In this statement, each f the main ideas f the iece is brken dwn int their cnstituent arts and examined, in rder t shine sme light n the visible and invisible rcesses cntained within. By exlring sme f the structures that create the cmlete exerience, it becmes ssible t see this erfrmance nt as a series f interlcking arts. It is als useful t set u sme basic arameters and terms with which t think abut these varius cncets. The iece is searated very rughly int three 'mvements' with an extended cda. These mvements will be referenced thrughut this statement. The first mvement is between 10:00 and rughly 26:00 in the scre, the secnd mvement is frm 26:00 until 39:00, the third mvement is between 39:00 and 50:00, and the cda begins at 50:00 and cntinues until the end f the iece. Each f these mvements exlres a different set f ideas and cncets that infrm ne anther. Harmny The harmnic structure f this iece relies n the use f just intnatin t rganize the itch material. Large scale harmnic mmentum is created thrugh bth gradual and sudden mvement between different fundamentals as well as smaller gestures that mve between simle ratis and mre cmlex harmnic relatinshis. These araches t harmnic activity d nt differ tremendusly frm traditinal cncets f key areas, tensin, and release. The use f mre cmlex harmnic ratis results in mre dissnance that cntrasts with the cnsnance f simler ratis, creating an analgus relatinshi with the tensin and release f traditinal harmnic rgressin. Exlring this asect f the iece rvides sme insight int ne f the structures that frm the backbne f bject Dialgues. The basic harmnic structure f bject Dialgues can be summed u in a simle series f ntes: C-D-F-D-A-G-F-Bb. These ntes cnstitute the generating itches that are used t create the large scale tnal areas exlred thrughut the iece. It is tentially illuminating t exlre ne f these tnal areas in detail and exlre hw harmnic mtin is created n a micrscic, mment-t-mment level befre exlring hw this cncet is dealt with n a larger scale. The first harmnic area in the iece is based n C, and is first resented t the audience thrugh sine tnes recrded nt tae ls which are layed thrugh each f the 9 tae recrders invlved in the iece. The audience walks int a sace which is already activated by these itches, subtly intrducing them t the harmnies that will dminate the first five minutes f the 2
erfrmance. The itches recrded nt the taes are C, D +4, E -14, F +51, G +2, and Bb -31 1. These itches can be exlained either as artials f C, in which case they wuld be the 1 st, 9 th, 5 th, 11 th, 3 rd, and 7 th artials r t state the same cncet in a different way, they culd be exlained via ratis in which case they wuld be 1/1 (C), 9/8 (D), 5/4 (E), 11/8 (F), 3/2 (G), and 7/4 (Bb). These itches are then reinfrced via the clarinets erfrming timbre trills n the same ntes. At 11:00 in the scre, the clarinets are jined by the saxhne and trmbne, wh lay F +50 (~11/8), G (3/2), D (9/8), Bb -31 (7/4), F -31 (~21/16), and E -14 (5/4). While the sax and trmbne cntinue t reinfrce the simler ratis, the clarinets begin t venture away frm them int mre cmlex relatinshis. Thrugh their ascending and descending scalar gestures, the clarinets add the itches A -50 (~13/8), B (~15/8), C# (17/16), Eb (19/16), A (27/16), B +50 (31/16), C +50 (33/32), and D +50 (37/32) t the cllective harmnic field. This results in a grwing tnal cmlexity, ushing the music frward by mving away frm the simler harmnies while maintaining a gestural similarity that results in a kind f harmnically active but gesturally static texture. This is fllwed at 11:30 in the scre by the additin f the layers n the lwer flr blwing ver bttles, which are tuned t the same itches as the taes, but in a lwer ctave. The winds then have their itches reduced t E (~5/4), Bb (~7/4), B (~15/8), D (9/8), C +50 (33/32), and A (27/16) in the clarinets and F +50 (11/8), D (9/8), and G (3/2) in the sax and trmbne. This cntinues until the winds fade ut by 13:00 in the scre, leaving the bttles alne. This cmletes a mvement back twards simle ratis that have a much clser relatinshi t the generating tne. The final sectin f this tnal area is triggered by the guitars, wh fade in n C and A and then mve u the resective harmnic series f thse ntes. This can be viewed either as a mixture between the harmnic areas f C and A r as ne guitar laying the higher artials f C while the ther lays the lwer artials. This is all layed with an extremely slw delay n the guitars, resulting in a wash f harmnic material that mves frm rather simle harmnic relatinshis int very cmlex nes that eliminate any ercetual cnnectin t the generating itch. This texture melts int the first truly randm sectin f the iece at 14:30, in which the ianist creates feedback with transducers n the inside f the ian, cncluding the ening sectin and ending the C tnal area. When the gestures f this sectin are discussed generally, it is ssible t 1 Whenever a number is included alngside a itch, it refers t the difference frm equal temerament in cents 3
describe the mvement as starting with simle harmnic relatinshis, mving t mre cmlex nes, then returning t simle relatinshis befre again becming mre cmlex until the harmny essentially 'exldes' int the randm tnes created by feedback. It wuld be imssible t discuss the harmnic minutiae f every sectin in the iece, but the same frces that drive the harmnic mtin in this ening sectin dictate the arach which is taken in every ther art f the iece. Thrughut bject Dialgues the transfrmatins between simle and cmlex harmnic relatinshis define the small-scale mmentum. The large scale shifts between harmnic areas are cmaratively simle when evaluated next t the micrscic harmnic changes. There are nly a few f these large scale changes, and the transitins between them vary frm instantaneus t almst imercetible. Similarly t the examinatin f micrscic harmnic changes, it is ssible t gain a greater understanding f ne f the structural cres f the iece by examining hw sme f these harmnic develments ccur. The first transitin is a very subtle shift frm the tnal area f C t D, this ccurs between 13:30 and 16:00 in the scre. This change is disguised by ne f the few laces in the iece which cannt be analyzed harmnically: the sectin frm 14:30 t 15:30 where the ianist is creating feedback. This texture serves as a bridge between these tw tnal fields, and when the D area begins t reveal itself, it is thrugh relatively simle harmnic relatinshis that disguise themselves by being rchestrated nt high, nisy string harmnics, further blurred by harmnicas and randm high harmnics n mnchrds. In fact there is n bvius relatinshi t a fundamental revealed in this sectin until 17:30 in the scre, in which D is heard nly briefly befre the next large harmnic shift ccurs. This transitin haens at 18:00 in the scre, mving frm the tnal area f D int F. This change is very sudden, as all f the layers excet fr the winds and the ian st laying, being cut ff by the abrut entrance f rdinary ian ntes fr the first time in the iece. This mve is anticiated at 17:50 by the winds jining the rest f the ensemble n F while the rest f the layers cntinues t reinfrce D. This new harmnic area is cntinued thrugh the ian, winds, and eventually electric guitar until the next transfrmatin takes lace between 19:30 and 20:00. The final large scale harmnic transitin that will be discussed is the shift that signals the end f the first 'mvement', in between 25:50 and 26:30. This transitin is rather simle, after a final, cadential crescend with the entire ensemble n D, the taes are left alne. The taes are laying the same timbral 4
variatins n D that characterize the sectin between 24:30 and 25:50, befre transitining t the next harmnic area: A. The taes begin this transitin by switching frm thse timbral variatins t a recrded string figure n A as well as randm meldies built n the harmnics f A. This tyifies anther tye f large-scale transitin that is used thrughut the iece, the use f ivt ntes r itches that can functin in bth f the harmnic areas that surrund them. Because the relatinshi between D and A is that f a erfect fifth, r a 3/2 rati, many f the itches in the harmnic series f A can be understd as higher artials f D 2. S when the taes begin t lay material frm the latter tnal area, it des nt becme immediately aarent that a harmnic transitin has ccurred. This change is nly slidified when the tae recrders jin the texture, reinfrcing the new tnal area thrugh sine tnes tuned t the 3 rd, 5 th, 7 th, 9 th, and 11 th artials f A. The rest f the large scale harmnic transitins d nt functin all that differently frm thse described here, and ne culd use the infrmatin resented abve t analyze thse transitins using similar ideas f sudden changes, ivt ntes, and the use f 'masking' material such as nise t blur the lines between harmnic areas. Rhythm There are a number f arallels that can be drawn frm a cmarisn between hw harmny and rhythm are used in bject Dialgues. ne f the main interests in using just intnatin as an rganizer f itch material is that it relies n the 'natural' intervals f the harmnic series. That interest in the 'natural' vs. the 'artificial' is ne f the main cncerns in this iece and manifests itself thrugh harmny, rhythm, and the general hilshy f the cmsitin. ne ntices when examining the scre that there is nt a single traditinal rhythm; n eighth ntes, quarter ntes, half ntes, etc. All f the rhythmic energy in the iece is derived frm the layers' inherent musicality, subtle ntatinal suggestins, r thrugh what will be referred t as 'embdied rhythms'. What is meant by an embdied rhythm is rhythmic material that is derived frm natural, cyclical rcesses in the bdy such as heartbeats, breathing, r walking. These are treated as generatrs f rhythmic cntent, as the layers use these cycles t trigger snic r visual events. These rcesses tend t fall int fast rhythms like the heartbeat 2 i.e. the 9 th artial f D (E +4) can be understd as the 3 rd artial f A. Anther examle is the 21 st artial f D (G -29) can be understd as the 7 th artial f A, and s n 5
r cmaratively slw rhythms such as breathing, allwing fr rhythmic variety. f curse there is n way t redict the exact rhythms that these rcesses will result in, but by using the erfrmers bdies as the surce f rhythmic material the audience is invited t view these erfrmers as nt just cnduits fr sund but als as ele rjecting the hidden rcesses f their bdies int the sace thrugh bth sund and light. These different araches t rhythm are ften nt searated frm ne anther, but rather interact t create a sace that is excited by many f these different rhythmic identities simultaneusly. During the first 'mvement', frm the beginning u until 26:00 in the scre, mst f the rhythmic material cmes frm a cmbinatin between subtle rhythmic suggestins rvided by the ntatin, filtered thrugh the erfrmers' musical inclinatins. In this art f the iece, the layers are generally rvided either with ne gesture t reeat r a selectin f gestures that they are encuraged t switch between randmly. The result f this tye f rhythmic ractice is that the layers imrvise the minute rhythmic details, ften changing and mdifying their arach t the gestures frm mment t mment. This idea is similar t Hratiu Radulescu's cncet f 'sund lasma', in which all musical elements are cnstantly in flux. Hwever, where Radulescu used this cncet t refer t all elements f erfrmance (timbre, rhythm, meldy, harmny, etc), in bject Dialgues this fluidity tends t fcus n rhythm and timbre, with itch remaining mstly fixed. This art f the iece als includes embdied rhythms that are well hidden, as the guitarists and auxiliary erfrmers use their breath t determine the seed f vlume adjustments n their tae recrders 3. Embdied rhythms are als naturally a art f sectins in which the erfrmers are instructed t use their breath, such as when the erfrmers are blwing ver bttles r erfrming n a wind instrument. These rhythms are cntrlled entirely by hw big f a breath each erfrmer takes and necessarily changes accrding t their lung caacity. The secnd 'mvement' in the iece, frm rughly 25:50 t 39:00 in the scre, relies almst entirely n embdied rhythms fr the rhythmic vcabulary. Thrughut this sectin f the iece, the erfrmers use their heartbeats r their breath t trigger visual events, such as the turning n/ff f lams r flashlights, as well as snic events such as taing their heartbeat n a table r laying certain ntes based n their heartbeat. 3 20:00 24:00 in the scre 6
There is als an interesting dialgue between the visually recgnizable gesture f utting ne's finger n their ulse t cunt their heartbeat versus the invisibility f breath as a generatr f rhythmic events. When ne sees smene cunting their heartbeat and ntices that actins are being undertaken accrding t this, there is a relatinshi created between that frmerly invisible rcess and the result. It is als interesting t bring u the use f artificial rhythms in this sectin f the iece, as can be fund in the beeing sine tnes frm rughly 32:23 33:30. U until this int in the mvement the erfrmers are using their embdied rhythms t create visual events, but when the erfrmers begin t use their ulse t trigger snic events such as the ian at 32:45, these artificial rhythms create a dialgue between redetermined, static rhythms and the blurry, unsteady rhythms f the heartbeat. The third 'mvement' f the iece, frm 39:00 rughly 50:00, returns t a cmbinatin between ntatinal suggestin f rhythm, the layers' musicality, and embdied rhythms. The difference in this sectin f the iece is that while the first mvement fcused entirely n sund, the secnd mvement fcused largely n light. The third mvement makes n distinctin between these tw elements, freely cmbining embdied rhythms that trigger sund r light as well as musical gestures that surrund and envel these hidden rcesses. This leads int the final sectin, frm 50:00 until the end in which the layers ftstes, and imrvisatry inclinatins cntrl the rhythmic elements. Light The use f light in bject Dialgues is cncerned with a few different asects f this medium, the 'bject-ness' f lighting instruments such as lams r flashlights, the interactin between light and an bserver's ercetin f sace, and the use f light as a means t visualize the afrementined embdied rhythms. In mst instances, when ne ges t a theatre erfrmance r any ther situatin in which lighting is dne by a rfessinal r which therwise invlves the use f light in the service f erfrmance, it is extremely cmmn t take the lights themselves fr granted. ne des nt send much mental energy thinking abut the lights themselves, the attentin is instead fcused n the lights' effects and hw they serve the actin n stage. bject Dialgues seeks t uend that relatinshi, by making the audience aware f bth the effects f the lighting instruments as well as the rather simle instruments themselves. When ne 7
sees a attern f clred light, it is nt a mystery hw this effect is created. The audience member can simly lk at the vilin r vila and see that they are inting a flashlight thrugh anther bject in rder t refract the light. This creates a relatinshi between the bserver and the erfrmer in which n susensin f disbelief is required, all f the visual effects are ractical and can be easily decihered, allwing the audience member t cntemlate bth the methd and the result. Anther asect f hw light is used in this erfrmance is t effect the audience's exerience f the sace itself. When the erfrmers first begin t interact with the lams as instruments (27:00), they are cunting their heartbeats and turning the lams n r ff accrdingly. What haens ercetually in these instances is that the sace begins t mrh visually, whereas reviusly it had nly been changed snically. As arts f the rm are illuminated r cvered in darkness it becmes mre difficult t visually erceive the size f the rm. The semi-randm nature f these first intrductins t light as an element f the cmsitin are cntrasted later in the iece (namely 32:00 32:23 and 37:00 38:30) where secific times are rvided t turn the lams n r ff, resulting in crdinated changes in the visual architecture. Finally, the use f light t visualize the afrementined embdied rhythms initially is dne t make thse cycles rise t the surface f the iece, as the audience first encunters a ercetible versin f these rhythms when the erfrmers begin t interact with the lams at 27:00. This can be thught f as a way t visualize the 'natural' (heartbeats) thrugh the 'artificial' (lams). This cntinues thrughut the iece, by using bth heartbeats and breath t cntrl the flashlights, risms, clred bttles, and lams; resulting in a visual sace influenced by natural cycles but created thrugh whlly artificial means. Anther asect f this relatinshi between the embdied rhythms and the lights is the ability t create musical gestures that functin entirely in the visual realm. A gd examle f this is between 37:25 and 38:30 in the scre. This gesture cnsists f the erfrmers turning their lams ff with each heartbeat, then every secnd, then every third, furth and eventually fifth heartbeat. The result f this is a ritardand f light, as the sace between each actin grws lnger, resulting in a cmsitinal gesture that exists almst entirely in the visual realm but can be thught f as cming frm a strictly musical way f thinking. 8
bjects As the title might suggest, an imrtant idea in this iece is the relatinshi that bjects have with the wrld, ele, and each ther. The bjects chsen in this iece are deliberately lw tech and are ften effectively bslete, such as the reel t reel tae recrder r the large ensemble f cassettes. The initial idea f using bjects as instruments in this iece was frmed while thinking abut the differences between the ractice f s-called 'western art music' and ular music. ne f the main divergent ints was what seemed t be the idea f the 'final rduct'. T generalize, it seemed that a majrity f ular music ractices viewed the recrding as final rduct, whereas 'art music' tended t view the cncert as the best way t exerience the music. There are many differences between these tw araches but the mst salient int is that a recrding is caable f being a urely snic exerience, whereas the erfrmance is inherently visual as well as snic. When ne attends a cncert f classical music, it is nt nly the music that is being exerienced but als the interactin between the erfrmers, their instruments, the sace, the light, and the audience. It quickly becmes an exerience nt caable f being recreated thrugh sund alne, and there is much t be gained frm watching a erfrmance f classical music and examining the subtle language f cues between chamber musicians r the techniques being used n the instruments r the reactins f fellw audience members and s n. The cncert exerience is ne that is extremely multidimensinal and it is frm that exerience that the idea t use bjects as instruments was brn. The afrementined exerience f lights in a theatre creates an analgue fr the use f cassette taes as well. Take fr examle, a cncert f electracustic music. In a cncert such as this, ne des nt ay attentin t the seakers themselves; they becme cnduits fr sund, blank canvasses un which the electrnic cmser aints their snic icture. The audience ays n mind t the mesh cvering the seaker cne, r the shade f black which they've been ainted, we merely accet them as the creatrs f sund and ut it ut f ur mind in rder t fcus n the cmsitin itself. In bject Dialgues, this idea is again subverted. Cassette tae recrders d nt ffer the 'blank-ness' f rdinary seakers, ne des nt lk at a cassette tae in 2016 and ignre the fact that this technlgy has lng been surassed. The bject cannt escae its assciatins via remval frm the wrld and lacement within a cncert hall erfrmance setting. Due t this, the audience is immediately aware f bth the sund being rduced and the bject rducing it. This 9
is cmunded by the use f timbrally simle material n the cassettes themselves. Fr a large sectin f the iece, the taes nly lay either sine tnes r vertne meldies. The result f using this extremely simle snic material is that the small seakers f the recrders as well as the unavidable nise f recrding nt tae massively affect the timbre f the snic material. In a sense, when listening t a sine tne recrded n tae and layed thrugh an ld rtable tae recrder, yu are nt nly hearing the riginal tne but als all f the snic detritus that the recrding rcess adds. S the bject-ness f the taes affect bth the visual and snic relatinshi the audience has with the material being resented. It wuld als be tentially illuminating t discuss the final gesture f the iece, and hw it brings all f the cncets exlred int a single audi-visual gesture. The iece cncludes with all f the layers lacing risms n the reels f a reel t reel tae recrder, with flashlights inting thrugh them, befre ressing lay and creating a kind f rtating dream machine nt far remved frm the mbiles used t ut babies t slee r make children feel less afraid f the dark. This gesture brings the three main cncets f bject Dialgues tgether: light, sund, and bjects. Similarly t the relatinshi created with the cassettes, the audience's exerience f an even deader technlgy immediately makes them aware f the bject-ness f the snic material, alngside the bringing tgether f all f the light rducing bjects (save fr the lams). The same idea f hearing the tae detritus that infrmed the use f sine tnes als infrms the musical material here. The sund is simly a music bx recrded nt a 1/4 reel but layed at 1/3 f the riginal seed, resulting in a dreamy, almst gng-like sund. This is the nly int in the iece in which light, sund, and bject are in dialgue with each ther in such a clse way. Sace The final majr cncet t be exlred in this breakdwn f bject Dialgues is the usage f sace, bth snic and visual. This iece was written with a very unique venue in mind: the Fei and Miltn Wng Exerimental Theatre at Simn Fraser University. This is an extremely large erfrmance sace (arximately 5,000 sq. ft.), encmassing three levels and a very wide erfrmance area. Vertical satializatin f sund and light as well as the mre familiar hrizntal satializatin are used thrughut the iece t exlit all the ssible satial ssibilities f this unique sace. 10
Satializatin was ne f the main cncerns when crafting the gestures in the iece and due t the setu f the erfrmers, these cncerns are intimately tied int every rchestratinal decisin. In rder t exlre hw this asect f the iece manifests itself, it can be useful t examine a cule f gestures t see this idea in ractice. The use f satializatin in bject Dialgues, similarly t hw the large scale harmnic transitins ccur, can be generally searated int tw categries: subtle and sudden. The sace is either suddenly shifted and changed r subtly filled ut r reduced until the audience's attentin is fcused n a small art f the venue. ne examle that illustrates the latter arach can be fund in the first five minutes f the iece. The erfrmance starts, as mentined reviusly, with the nine tae layers laying tae ls. The result f this is that the audience enters a sace that is largely static. It is ercetible that the different tnes are cming frm different laces in the rm but there is n change in the lcatins f the sunds. This changes when the clarinets first enter. These instruments are laced n site sides f the third flr (a techinical level at the t f the rm abve the audience), and when they begin t lay the attentin is immediately directed twards bth the verticality f the sace. This is then filled ut frm behind and abve the audience by the saxhne and trmbne. The next majr satial shift ccurs when the layers with bttles begin t sund, first frm underneath the audience and then, as they walk t their laying sitins, they fill the sace in frnt f, behind, and arund the audience with mving surces f sund. This then melts int the guitars, wh intrduce the crners in frnt f the audience as a satial lcatin. This gesture cncludes with the ianist entering and creating feedback inside the ian, which culd be thught f as a tiny rm f its wn. S the ening gesture first intrduces the audience t the height f the sace, then fills ut all f the ther basic satial ssibilities, befre calescing int a single small sace directly in frnt f them. This is a erfect examle f hw the sace is subtly changed thrugh the lacement f erfrmers, mvement f sund and instruments, as well as the slicing u f the sace thrugh rchestratin. An examle f a sudden satial change can be heard at 18:00 in the scre, in which all f the layers n the lwer levels f the rm, with the excetin f the ian, suddenly st and the sace is searated int the very lw (ian) and the very high (winds). The ending als rvides an interesting examle f hw sace is treated as a cmsitinal element, as it essentially reverses the satial gesture that begins the 11
wrk. At the end, each f the erfrmers walks frm their laying sitin t the sace underneath the seats, at which int they begin t treat the seating surts as ercussin instruments. The result f this is that the audience is made aware, fr the first time since the iece begun, f the sace beneath them as a tential erfrmance area. This gesture is accmanied by the very slw descent f the clarinets frm the third flr dwn t the sace underneath the seats, re-intrducing the mbile sunds that characterized the beginning. It is als interesting t nte hw light is used as a satial cncern as well, aside frm the reviusly discussed use f lams. The sectins in which the vilinist, vilist, as well as the sax layer and trmbnist are laying with risms, clred bttles, and flashlights intrduce a kind f randm arach t visual ercetin f sace. When the risms are first intrduced at 32:23 it is nt by the vilist and vilinist, wh are visible t the audience, it is frm the saxhnist and trmbnist, wh direct their light thrugh the risms frm abve the audience. This intrduces the audience t the ssibility f light cming frm abve as well as a kind f transfrmed light that had nt yet been seen. This als crresnds t the tye f sudden satial shift that is seen thrughut the iece snically, as the erfrmers n the lwer levels simultaneusly turn their lams ff the layers n the third flr intrduce their lights fr the first time, resulting in a sudden shift f visual awareness. Anther way in which the light encurages the audience t exlre the sace is frm 36:00 37:25 in the scre. During this sectin, the vilist and vilinist direct their flashlight thrugh their clred bttles and are encuraged t int in randm directins arund the rm. As they d this, the audience invariably fllws these interesting lights arund the rm, directing their eyes t arts f the sace that erhas had nt been seen befre. There are great deal f arallels between the use f satial sund as well as satial light, and the cnstant sense f discvery that these elements rvide the audience mean that the rm is never satially static, it is always in flux and always changing. Cnclusin In cnclusin, by examining sme f the cnstituent arts f this cmsitin, it is ssible t lk nce again n the cmlete exerience and begin t recgnize the dee and cmlex rt system that lies beneath the surface f that initial ercetin. bject Dialgues seeks t create a situatin in which n knwledge f these structures 12
is necessary but an understanding f their resence allws fr a greater areciatin f the wrld created in erfrmance. The hidden rivers f infrmatin that flw beneath the the audiences' ercetin reflect thse hidden cycles, structures, and rcesses that surrund ur lives. 13
Chater 2. bject Dialgues A meditatin n light, sund, and sace fr 13 musicians (2016) 14
Perfrmance Ntes List f Materials Each layer has a unique cllectin f bjects that they interact with thrughut the erfrmance. The fllwing sectin rvides a list f the required bjects with suggestins fr the best ssible recreatin f the riginal erfrmance. All f this is in additin t the erfrmers main instrument, hwever the Aux erfrmers have their list f instruments included here. All layers need stwatches. All layers excet fr the tw erfrmers n auxiliary instruments will likely require music stands equied with stand lights in the riginal erfrmance. All f these bjects can be rvided by the cmser. Clarinets - 1 whirly tube (with fundamentals f A and B +51) Saxhne and Trmbne - 1 flashlight - 1 rism (referably a teardr rism) Aux I - Lam (referably a table lam) - Large bttle tuned t G2 - Cassette tae recrder (referably a shebx recrder) - Cassette tae l - Standard cassette tae - Mnchrd tuned t G2 - Cntact micrhne with ¼ utut - Hneytne am (r any ther mini guitar am) - Wine glass tuned t G5-31 - Small flashlight with light cvered by blue r red gel (t mve safely at the end) Aux II - Lam (referably a table lam) - Large bttle tuned t C2 - Cassette tae recrder (referably a shebx recrder) - Cassette tae l - Standard cassette tae - Mnchrd tuned t A2 - Cntact micrhne with ¼ utut - Hneytne am (r any ther mini guitar am) - Wine glass tuned t D5 +51 - Small flashlight with light cvered by blue r red gel (t mve safely at the end) Electric Guitars - Lam (referably an adjustable standing lam with a switch n the crd) - Delay edal - C harmnica - Cassette tae recrder (referably a shebx recrder) - Cassette tae l - Standard cassette tae - Small flashlight with light cvered by blue r red gel (t mve safely at the end) - Whirly tube (with fundamentals f F and G) - Extra music stand with felt t hld these bjects Vilin - Lam (referably a small table lam) - Large bttle tuned t E2-14 - Flashlight - Prism (referably a ball rism) - Clear wine bttle filled with water with a green gel taed arund it - Cassette tae recrder (referably a small handheld recrder) - Cassette tae l - Standard cassette tae - Small flashlight with light cvered by blue r red gel (t mve safely at the end) - Small table t hld all these bjects Vila - Lam (referably a small table lam) - Large bttle tuned t Bb3-31 - Flashlight - Prism (referably a ball rism) - Clear wine bttle filled with water that has been died ink - Cassette tae recrder (referably a small handheld recrder) - Cassette tae l - Standard cassette tae - Small flashlight with light cvered by blue r red gel (t mve safely at the end) - Small table t hld all f these bjects 15
Cell - Lam (referably a standing lam with a ftswitch) - Large bttle tuned t D2 - Cassette tae recrder (referably a shebx recrder) - Cassette tae l - Standard cassette tae - Chime tuned t G4 - Sft mallet - Small flashlight with light cvered by blue r red gel (t mve safely at the end) - Extra music stand with felt t hld these bjects Bass - Lam (referably a standing lam with a ftswitch) - Large bttle tuned t F2 +51 - Cassette tae recrder (referably a shebx recrder) - Cassette tae l - Standard cassette tae - Chime tuned t A4 - Sft mallet - Small flashlight with light cvered by blue r red gel (t mve safely at the end) - Extra music stand with felt t hld these bjects Pian Lam (referably a standing lam with a switch n the crd) Harmnium (referably a hand-umed Indian harmnium tuned t A435) Cassette tae recrder (referably a large handheld recrder) Standard cassette tae Mixer Small amlifier 2 transducer seakers 1 XLR cable, 1 TRS cable, 2 lengths f seaker wire 2 electric tthbrushes Large table t hld all f these bjects Extra Materials Reel t reel tae recrder 2 wered seakers Pyramid rism These bjects are used nly at the end f the iece and are nt included in any ther layer's setu. The details f each f these setus are described n the fllwing ages. Ntatin General Time is rganized in bject Dialgues thrugh crdinated stwatches. All layers shuld gather tgether when the audience is being let int the sace t start their stwatches tgether befre beginning the iece. The layers shuld start their stwatches a minute r tw befre the cncert is t begin. Frm there, all f the cues are written accrding t this cllective timer. The layers shuld fllw their stwatches as accurately as ssible, many f the cues rvided will be simultaneus if this is dne crrectly. Musical gestures and ther actins are rvided either as traditinal ntatin r text instructins. Thrughut the iece, when a gesture r actin is meant t cntinue it is reresented via an arrw. The riginal actin is meant t cntinue either until the arrw ends r until anther instructin is rvided. When mre than tw gestures are available t a musician, the gestures are cntained within bxes, the layer shuld switch between these randmly. When tw tins are rvided, the gestures are searated by a duble-sided arrw, the layer shuld alternate between these gestures randmly, never reeating the same gesture twice in a rw. When the layer is rvided with a single gesture t cntinuusly reeat, the gesture is cntained within reeat barlines. There are n traditinal rhythms in bject Dialgues. All f the rhythmic material is created either thrugh the seed f a erfrmer's heartbeat, breath, r thrugh suggestins in ntatin. When rhythm is suggested ntatinally it is searated int either lng ntes, reresented by en nteheads, r relatively shrt ntes, reresented by clsed nteheads. In many ther cases, rhythm is created either thrugh the technique called fr (such as trills r hase bwing) r thrugh bwing, breath, r fingering suggestins. Due t layut cncerns it was nt ssible t accurately reresent the length f measures with rrtinal length n the age. When fllwing the scre it is advised that ne ays mre attentin t the time markers rather than the rrtinal size f the measure. - Quarter tnes (-50/+50 cents) - Sixth tnes (-31 cents), these accidentals are used t indicate the 7 th artial r the nde t rduce the 7 th artial, which is a little smaller than a minr 3 rd abve the en string - Twelfth tnes (-14 cents), these accidentals are used exclusively t indicate the 5 th artial, and generally are nly attached t harmnics - Crescend frm silence - Decrescend int silence 16
Winds The cellist needs t tune their C string and G string dwn a sixth tne. This results in the fllwing: - Timbre trill, the layer shuld raidly alternate between different fingerings fr the same itch, referably with sme micrtnal variatin between them - Plunger clsed/en (trmbne) There is ccasinal use f natural harmnics n the trmbne. These itches are indicated by giving the slide sitin in rman numerals, accmanied by the artial number in arabic numerals (i.e. I - 5 ). When the F attachment is engaged, an F is attached t the beginning f the slide infrmatin (i.e. FVI 7 ) The layer shuld nt make slide adjustments when laying these itches. Strings - Bw with extreme ressure, the result shuld be an extremely nisy, tne-less sund mlt sul tast / sul tast / rd / sul nt / mlt sul nt bw sitin indicatins (smetimes shrtened t mst/st r s/ms) Phase Bw Light bw ressure, randm rhythm, mving the bw randmly between sul tast and sul nticell. The result shuld be a sund that brings ut different harmnics f the en string/sted itch. Harmnics are ntated with a diamnd ntehead fr the fingered nde, ccasinally accmanied by an rdinary nte in arentheses indicating the sunding itch. High harmnics n the bass are ntated with a diamnd ntehead n the sunding itch. X nteheads indicate that the layer shuld mute the string with their entire hand. Multihnics are indicated with a blded M abve an en string in arentheses. The erfrmers are encuraged t find a multihnic that wrks best fr their instrument. String multihnics are erfrmed by lacing a finger in-between tw harmnic ndes and alying a bit f verressure and using a very slw bw. The result shuld be a nisy sund that cntains a few different ercetible itches. Guitars Guitar I will need a standard 6 string guitar, Guitar II will need a 7 string. Each layer will als need a delay edal (referably a Bss DD-7). The settings shuld be rughly 75% e. level, 75% feedback, and an ech rughly 2 secnds lng. All f the guitar arts invlve the layers lucking a given nte and then fading in with either a vlume edal r with the vlume knb. This actin is reresented with the crescend/decrescend t/frm silence hairin. The size f the hairins indicate rughly hw lng the fade shuld be. Thrughut this iece, the sund f an rdinary lucked guitar shuld NEVER be heard. Harmnics are ntated with the fingered nde shwn as a diamnd ntehead and the sunding itch as a in arentheses. Due t the cmlex scrdatura, additinal assistance finding the harmnic has been rvided by including the string number and harmnic artial with every harmnic. Mst f the guitar arts cnsist f harmnics s the few times that the layer is nt laying harmnics, the string is either en r sted. en strings are ntated with an en ntehead with the string number and n harmnic artial, sted strings are ntated with the string number and rman numerals indicating what fret shuld be fingered (i.e. VII = 7 th fret). In a few instances, the layers are asked t rduce right hand harmnics. In these cases, the system fr ntating harmnics is reversed, with the fingered itch reresented as a nrmal ntehead and the nde (always an ctave abve the fingered nte) reresented as a diamnd. When this technique is required, it is als accmanied by r.h.. Tuning: ccasinally, bwing instructins such as slw bwing r fast bwing are given, these indicate that the layer shuld change bws either very slwly r very quickly. When fast bwing, the layer shuld accent each bw change, vice-versa when slw bwing is requested the bw changes shuld be almst imercetible All sted itches shuld be erfrmed withut vibrat. 17
Aux Perfrmers The transducers shuld be attached t the sundbard f the ian with electrical tae. Try t attach them as snugly as ssible but it is exected that the seakers will buzz a little bit. The riginal lcatins f the seakers are indicated with asterisks in the grahic belw. The mnchrds shuld be amlified by attaching a cntact mic t the bridge and sending the signal t a miniature amlifier, the mdel used in the riginal erfrmance was the Hneytne N10. The vlume shuld be set at rughly 60% n the master vlume, tne at 100%, and verdrive at 0%. All f the itches rduced n the mnchrds are rduced via harmnics. The layer shuld bw with the right hand and use the left hand t rduce the itches. Harmnic ressure shuld always be used, t much left hand ressure will distrt the sund. Partials 1 thrugh 13 are marked n the instrument. Whenever itches ther than the en string are called fr they are always accmanied by the artial number t assist in finding the sitin.the layer shuld use bw ressure t create dynamic variety, rather than the amlifier. Pian Setu fr the transducer, seakers, and micrhne: utside f the first gesture with feedback, the micrhne shuld always be n the mic stand, directed twards the harmnium. Whenever the harmnium is ging t be layed, the layer needs t turn the main fader u n the mixer. When the harmnium is nt being layed, the layer needs t turn the fader all the way dwn. A1 and E2 need t be reared with small ieces f eraser. A2 needs t be sted with a small iece f eraser at the 7th artial (resulting in G4-31). E2 needs t be sted with a iece f eraser at the 3rd artial (resulting in B3). If there are three strings n E2, use tw ieces f eraser. It is strngly recmmended that the layer marks the damers fr Bb1 and Bb0 in rder t aid in finding them when laying with the tthbrushes frm 44:30 49:00. The sustain edal must be dwn fr the entire erfrmance, this can be dne by lacing a heavy weight n the edal. ANY SPECIAL TECHNIQUES NT MENTINED IN THESE NTES ARE EXPLAINED WITHIN THE SCRE 18
Satial Arrangement TP VIEW: The use f sace is at the heart f bject Dialgues. It is vital that the erfrmers are searated satially. In the riginal erfrmance, the erfrmers were lcated acrss three levels in a very wide erfrmance area. Essentially the erfrmers can be searated int three cnsecutively mre distant grus: near, far, and very far. The erfrmers in the 'near' sitins are the strings. The erfrmers in the 'far' sitins are the guitars, aux layers, and the ian. Finally, the erfrmers in the 'very far' sitins are the winds. These satial designatins are intentinally vague, as this iece was written fr a very secific erfrmance venue and subsequent erfrmances will mst likely nt be able t re-create the dimensins f the riginal venue. If this iece is t be erfrmed again, sme discussin between the resenting rganizatin and the cmser will be required t adat the iece t the satial arrangement available. The fllwing grahics detail the setu fr the riginal erfrmance. This, alngside the dcumentatin f this erfrmance can rvide sme insiratin fr alternate setus. SIDE VIEW: Ben Wylie benwylie55@gmail.cm www.benwyliemusic.cm 19
Scre in C Clarinet in Bb BJECT DIALGUES 0:00 (Audience Enters) Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin nstage by Ben Wylie (b.1992) Clarinet in Bb Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin nstage Alt Saxhne Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin nstage Trmbne Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin nstage Aux I Aux II Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage (ffstage) (ffstage) Electric Guitar I Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage (ffstage) Electric Guitar II Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage (ffstage) Vilin Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage (ffstage) Vila B Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage (ffstage) Vilncell Cntrabass Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage Press lay n tae recrder Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage (ffstage) (ffstage) { Pian ( ) Start stwatch with the rest f the ensemble Mve t starting sitin ffstage (ffstage) 20
Cl. 10:00 Play gestures in any rder, each gesure shuld be equal t ne breath fast slw fast slw fast slw fast slw t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ b µ f f f f 8 Cl. Play gestures in any rder, each gesture shuld be equal t ne breath fast slw fast slw fast slw fast slw t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ µ f f f f Alt Sax. Tbn. +mute = Cl. 11:00 sim. t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ µ œ œ œ µ œ œ # œ µ œ µ œ œ œ mf mf mf Cl. sim. t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ t.tr.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ b J œ œ œ B œ # œ # œ µ µ œ µ œ œ mf mf mf Play gestures in any rder, each gesture shuld be equal t ne breath Alt Sax. µ mf mf mf Tbn. b Play gestures in any rder, each gesture shuld be equal t ne breath JFVI - 7 n K V - 7 mf mf mf 21 FVI - 5 3
9 Cl. 11:30 12:00 b Cl. µ Alt Sax. µ Tbn. í î Aux I Walk ut frm underneath the seats n the left side, first in the line Walk t yur sitin while blwing ver the bttle (20-30") Sit dwn when yu reach yur laying sitin, cntinue t blw ver the bttle Bttle m Aux II Walk ut frm underneath the seats n the right side, first in the line Walk t yur sitin while blwing ver the bttle (20-30") Sit dwn when yu reach yur laying sitin, cntinue t blw ver the bttle Bttle m Vln. Walk ut frm underneath the seats n the left side (behind Aux I) Walk t yur sitin while blwing ver the bttle (20-30") Sit dwn when yu reach yur laying sitin, cntinue t blw ver the bttle Bttle 3 m Vla. B Walk ut frm underneath the seats n the right side (behind Aux II) Walk t yur sitin while blwing ver the bttle (20-30") Sit dwn when yu reach yur laying sitin, cntinue t blw ver the bttle b JBttle m Vc. Walk ut frm underneath the seats n the left side (behind Vln) Walk t yur sitin while blwing ver the bttle (20-30") Sit dwn when yu reach yur laying sitin, cntinue t blw ver the bttle Bttle m Cb. Walk ut frm underneath the seats n the right side (behind Vla) Walk t yur sitin while blwing ver the bttle (20-30") Sit dwn when yu reach yur laying sitin, cntinue t blw ver the bttle Bttle µ m 22
Cl. 12:30 (cntinue revius gesture, slwly fade t silence) 13:00 10 Cl. (cntinue revius gesture, slwly fade t silence) Alt Sax. (cntinue revius gesture, slwly fade t silence) Tbn. (cntinue revius gesture, slwly fade t silence) Aux I Cntinue blwing ver the bttle Slwly turn the vlume dwn t nthing n the tae layer (ver ca. 30") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP Cntinue blwing ver bttle Aux II Cntinue blwing ver the bttle Slwly turn the vlume dwn t nthing n the tae layer (ver ca. 30") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP Cntinue blwing ver bttle I Enter thrugh the dr nearest t yur sitin Slwly turn the vlume dwn t 0% n the tae layer (ver ca. 20") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP II Enter thrugh the dr nearest t yur sitin Slwly turn the vlume dwn t 0% n the tae layer (ver ca. 20") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP Vln. Cntinue blwing ver the bttle Slwly turn the vlume dwn t nthing n the tae layer (ver ca. 30") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP 3 ( ) Cntinue blwing ver bttle Vla. Cntinue blwing ver the bttle Slwly turn the vlume dwn t nthing n the tae layer (ver ca. 30") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP b J Cntinue blwing ver bttle Vc. Cntinue blwing ver the bttle Slwly turn the vlume dwn t nthing n the tae layer (ver ca. 30") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP Cntinue blwing ver bttle Cb. Cntinue blwing ver the bttle Slwly turn the vlume dwn t nthing n the tae layer (ver ca. 30") When the vlume is all the way dwn ress STP Cntinue blwing ver bttle µ 23