Some ideas about my compositions:
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1 – As a composer, my music has consistently been grounded in conceptual ideas that explore gradual compositional processes, memory, and time manipulation. These foundational concepts serve as a perpetual source, shaping and guiding my approach to crafting music.
One of my research sources for my technique comes from early tape music experiments, particularly a practice called ‘time lag accumulation,’ a term coined by Terry Riley. Time lag accumulation centers around a simple tape loop delay setup, employing long-duration loops that gradually accumulate and decay over time.
This technique led me to experiment with an analog effects pedal commonly used by electric guitar players: the Loop Station. It allows me to gradually layer and transform sound, resulting in a unique sonic experience that evolves and morphs as loops build up and fade away.
I am using the Loop Station, not as a mere device for creating echoes or repetitive patterns, but as a powerful sonic tool for time travel. Through the loop station, I delve into the possibilities of traversing through time, manipulating temporal elements, and crafting sound experiences that extend beyond traditional echoes. The loop station serves as a gateway for me, to manipulate and collapse time by intricately weaving together fragments of time and blurring the boundaries between the past and present.
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SoLo for amplified violin, analog synthesizer and loop station.
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The “SoLo” series represents my exploration of these concepts related to time manipulation and gradual compositional processes in the context of solo performances. In each piece, I explore the possibilities of creating intricate, multi-layered compositions with a single player and Loop Station. It is worth mentioning that I have also explored this technique with more than one musician, such as the series “Vis Insita” which was composed for a group of two, three, four, five, or six musicians.
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Rehearsing ‘SoLo VIII- Air’ at Orgelpark, Amsterdam.
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2- Voices and music
Another key area in my compositional work is the realm of the voice. The connection between voice and music forms a symbiotic relationship that has persisted since their inception, transcending cultural and religious boundaries. However, instead of focusing on the singing voice, my focus shifted to the spoken voice.
Not in the ‘sprechstimme’ technique of the early 20th century, which moves between the limits of expression, singing, and vocal narration, but in the voice that simply narrates. These concepts have their roots in the pioneering work of the American composer Robert Ashley. The fundamental element of his works is the spoken voice, close-miked, uttering what Ashley characterizes as ‘involuntary speech’: random comments, mutterings, and disconnected conversational fragments picked up off the street.
My interest lies not only in the content of the words or the narrative but also in the timbre, enunciation, breathing, rhythm, and unique modulations that bestow identity upon the voice. These voice qualities will subsequently find application in transferring the information into compositional parameters at a later stage.
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Recording studio for the voices of “the body imitates the landscape”, at MIT University.
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The compositional process is divided into three stages: it begins with the selection of the text and the choice of the narrator. The second step involves recording the chosen text with the designated narrator. Following this, a spectral analysis of the recorded voice is conducted to gather data essential for the composition process. The third stage entails transferring this collected data into music.
I have explored these concepts in several works, including ‘Confessions,’ featuring poems by Anne Carson; ‘The Body Imitates the Landscape,’ inspired by Michitado Tada’s book ‘Karada’ (body); ‘J’ai Connu,’ accompanied by an essay from Franco-German writer Géraldine Schwarz; and my current project ‘Re-Genetic Mutation of Mind,’ slated for premiere in September 2024, featuring text and voice by composer Robert Ashley.
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Transducer speakers inside the piano, for the tape-voices
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cfb
Claudio F Baroni 