Music for Bassoon and Live Electronics (2002-2003)


- SuperCollider standalone app
- score

Music for Bassoon and Live Electronics was composed in 2002 for bassoonist Ryan Hare and premiered in Seattle, Washington in January on 2003. The computer part is written with the computer program SuperCollider, a real-time synthesis language. All sound generated by the computer originates with the performer, and is realized during the performance (if the performer chose not to play anything, neither would the computer!). This approach to instrument and computer music gives an enormous amount of flexibility to the performer, as opposed to the traditional instrument and tape piece where the performer usually has to follow a stop-watch.
Music for Bassoon is the third in a series of pieces where I began to explore the possibilities of microtonal sound, both as a basis for notes in a single instrument, as well as tool for textural density. The final section owes much to American composer Conlon Nancarrow and his player piano studies in which complex counterpoint is created that would otherwise be very difficult for a single performer. As the player plays through the melody, it is repeated in canon at various tempos and pitches, until it is an incomprehensible swirl of notes.