The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

January 20, 2011


Experiments

http://www.alansondheim.org/hopping.mov (sound only)
http://espdisk.com/alansondheim/whynot1.mp3
http://espdisk.com/alansondheim/whynot2.mp3
http://espdisk.com/alansondheim/whynot3.mp3
http://espdisk.com/alansondheim/whynot4.mp3

Azure Carter, voice
Foofwa d'Imobilite, voice
Alan Sondheim, violin, voice, Khmer tro sau
http://www.khmerculturalcenter.org/phlengkar/kcc_trosau.htm

The Cambodian tro sau is related to the Chinese erhu; it has two strings
tuned a fifth apart, and the bow hair goes between then. The upper side of
the hair plays one string; the lower side plays the other. There is no
fingerboard; the strings are stopped by touch alone.

So these are experiments in voice and bowed instrument - there's a lot
of room for improvement, but the results are interesting.

My own music is awkward, unbalanced, resonant between the organic and the
instrumental body; it tends towards a broken or wounded mastery. My hands
attempt what, for me, is impossible - there's always _this gesture_ that
falls short, flat, irresolute, noisy. And at times it's as if the piece is
in a hurry to end, before the refrain or timbre gives out. And from this
comes a mis/shaping, mis/recognition that opens territories of future
compression and release. Rather to move on than hold on; rather to move
than die.

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