INFO | PROGRAM | BILJETTER | CREW
Lördag
18:30 (Kulturkiosken) PUSH Recidency David Berezan
Konsert för högtalarorkester, tonsättare verksamma vid NOVARS research center, Manchester University, UK i urval av David Berezan som är ledare vid en av europas viktigaste institutioner för EAM.
www.davidberezan.com
http://www.novars.manchester.ac.uk/
Program:
Cyclo (2003) David Berezan 10:40 stereo
The Last Castrati (2005) Ricardo Climent 9:00 stereo
Badlands (2008) David Berezan 10:40 5.1-channel
Topographia (2008) Diana Simpson 10:00 stereo
Nijo (2009) David Berezan 13:00 8-channel
David Berezan
Cyclo (2003) David Berezan
Cyclo emerged out of the everyday ritual of the bicycle ride between my home and the studios where I work. The sounds from my bicycle, the underlying rhythm of cycling and the familiar sound spaces of the journey have been an accompaniment to my life in England. I decided to exploit this rich sound environment to create something that suggests both the high energy, rapid and harsh movement of cycling and the magic of journey. Cyclo is an abstract and magical sound world that contrasts and merges natural, mechanical, muscular and delicate qualities. This 'deconstruction' and 'reconstruction' of the bicycle sound object creates a new 'something' or object from source recordings of the original, leading to multiple real-world and abstract perspective juxtapositions (close observation, inner contemplation and open soundscape). Cyclo is concerned with cycling and the journey as much as it is with the inner sound world and workings of the bicycle itself.
The term cyclo is the combinational form of circle, cycle, or cyclic and is fundamental to the looping or turning nature of pedaling, breathing, wheels, gears and the repeated cycle of the daily journey. Cyclo is used in parts of SE Asia to refer to bicycle rickshaws (essentially unrelated to the piece although acknowledged though the incorporation of the gamelan tuning system in the treatment of some pitched material) and the cyclo driver.
The Last Castrati (2004) Ricardo Climent
Alessandro Moreschi, also known as the last castrato, was perhaps not the most famous voice of his genre but he was the last one. His unique recordings for Gramophone made a Century ago, have inspired and served many projects in audio and Film industry (Farinelly). This wax cylinder testimony of the last castrato, is also the soul of this composition.
A hundred years later, should we re-invent a new generation of Hyper-castrati? Could scientists genetically engineer a unique human according the music aesthetics of our time? A voice that could reach unknown frequencies and gestures which has the power of amplified signals?. A singer who had absolute breath control to hold notes indefinitely, with vocal chords capable of polyphony, to ‘granulate’ words and produce sounds alien to human nature? Although this is all science-fiction, the composition is the sonic realisation of this idea.
In this compositional environment, a sustained castrati timbre, explores and navigates alongside new textures and gestures trying to understand such anatomic irrationality in order to become part of it. From start, there is no conscious reference to the origin of sources, and sound objects develop their own sonic discourse. When the wax cylinder recording of Moreschi appears, the composition abandons its purely abstract discourse and becomes evocative completing the castrati’s last journey.
Last Castrati is part of the repertoire for improvisation of NYU’s New Music Ensemble, directed by Esther Lamneck. In 2005 only, The Last Castrati was programmed at Punto de Encuentro-Spain, FEMFs-Florida, Seamus-Indiana, SICMF-Korea, WOBC-Ohio, TUV-Berlin, ICMC-2005 and Festival Fusion Costa Rica. Is was published by SGAE-label, IVM-label and ICMC-label and CMC-Ireland label.
Badlands (2007) David Berezan
5.1 channels
The Badlands of southern Alberta, Canada comprise a vast and carved prairie landscape harbouring dinosaur fossils, intimate parks, indigenous peoples history and a very unique climate. In the summer of 2007 I collected an array of sound material in the region that allowed me to compose a work that directly references an area of the world that I will always think of as very near to "home". Long summer days, deep river valleys surrounded by grasslands that seem to stretch out forever, mountains on the horizon and warm evenings, camping by the firelight and long shadows. In this respect, there is a sense of nostalgia in Badlands, but only to the point where my investigation of sound creates more otherworldly and densely constructed sound worlds.
Badlands was commissioned by IMEB, and was completed with their kind and generous support in the IMEB studios in Bourges in October 2007.
Topographia (2008) Diana Simpson
This work aims to explore various sonic landscapes and topologies through variations in implied proximities, densities and the kinetic behaviour of the sound materials. Topographia emerged from a project in which seven composers created a work using the same source material, this being a collection of 12 short samples from Denis Smalley’s Wind Chimes, released for use by the composer himself. Bearing in mind Smalley’s interest in spatial attributes in electroacoustic music, it seemed appropriate to explore this particular area through the sonic material. In many respects Topographia is particularly influenced by Smalley’s Valley Flow, a work which had a significant impact on my early compositions.
Nijō (2009) [8-channels] David Berezan
Nightingale floors are floors found in Japan that are designed to make a chirping sound when walked upon. They were used in the hallways of some temples and palaces, including Nijō Castle in Kyoto. Dry boards naturally creak under pressure, but these floors were designed so that the flooring HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nail_%28fastener%29"nails rubbed against a jacket or clamp, causing chirping noises. The squeaking floors were used as a security device, assuring that none could sneak through the corridors undetected.
For a composer that explores, collects and "uncovers" sounds as part of the creative process, this is a powerful concept both literally (sonically), and metaphorically. Developing further the idea that underneath and within the floorboards reside nightingales, Nijō delves deeper into, and within, the floorboards, revealing not only birds but many voices and sounds of traditional and contemporary Japan.
Sound recordings for Nijō were completed during a period of research residency in 2007 with the kind support of Tamagawa University (Tokyo).
David Berezan completed a BA in History (1988) at the University of Calgary, a Diploma in Composition (1996) at Grant MacEwan College (Edmonton) and a MMus in Composition (2000) at the University of Calgary; and a PhD in Electroacoustic Composition (2003) at the University of Birmingham (UK) with Jonty Harrison.
He has composed works for solo instruments and ensembles, electronics and instruments, solo electronics, and collaborative interdisciplinary work, but his primary focus is acousmatic music. He is also a practitioner and proponent of sound diffusion performance and the interpretation of fixed-media work.
David Berezan has been awarded in the Bourges (France, 2002), Luigi Russolo (Italy, 2002), Radio Magyar (Hungary, 2001), São Paulo (Brazil, 2003, ’05), L’espace du son (Belgium, 2002) and JTTP (Canada, 2000) competitions. He has worked in residence in the studios of The Banff Centre of the Arts (Canada, 2000, 07), ZKM’s Institut für Musik und Akustik (Germany, 2007), GRM (France, 2007), IMEB (France, 2007), ESB (Switzerland, 2005), and Tamagawa University (Japan, 2007).
In 2003, he was appointed Lecturer and Director of the Electroacoustic Music Studios at the University of Manchester (UK) and he founded MANTIS (Manchester Theatre in Sound).
His work is published by Empreintes DIGITALes.
http://www.electrocd.com/en/bio/berezan_da/
Manuella Blackburn was born in London in 1984. She went on to gain a bachelors degree in Music at The University of Manchester followed by a Masters in Electroacoustic Composition, gaining a Distinction and the Peter J Leonard Composition Prize. She is now completing a PhD at the University of Manchester, September 2006, with Dr Ricardo Climent's supervision, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Recent successes include First Prize for her work Vista Points in the 10th Musica Viva Electroacoustic Music Competition, 2009, Portugal, and Grand Prize in the Digital Arts Awards, Japan for Kitchen Alchemy. She has received Honorary Mentions in the CMMAS competition in Mexico and in the VII CIMESP (Concurso Internacional de Musica Eletroacustica de Sao Paulo 2007. Other awards include First Prize for her acousmatic work, Causal Impacts, in the 7th Musica Viva Electroacoustic Competition 2006, Portugal 2nd Prize in the Diffusion Competition, Limerick, 2008 for Cajon!
Oliver Carman completed his first Degree in Music at the University of Sheffield in 1998. He then went on to complete a Masters Degree in 2004 in electro-acoustic composition at Sheffield under the supervision of Adrian Moore. He is presently working toward a PhD in electro-acoustic composition at the University of Manchester under the supervision of David Berezan, where he is an active member of MANTIS. His work is regularly performed throughout the UK and internationally. He was awarded 2nd Prize in the 6th International Computer Music Competition `Pierre Schaeffer' and PRIX RESIDENCE in the 2007 Bourges International Competition of Electro-acoustic Music.
Ricardo Climent is an active music composer. He often finds in the field of music technology, original new routes and stimuli to explore and develop distinctive aspects in his music, both in the creative and performing environment. Currently, he lecturers at the NOVARS Research Centre, University of Manchester and previously held a position at the School of Music and Sonic Arts, Queen's University of Belfast. Ricardo has served as resident composer and researcher at the JOGV Orchestra in Spain, Conservatorio of Morelia in Mexico, Kunitachi colleague of Music, Tokyo, LEA labs, at the Conservatorio of Valencia, the Cushendall Tower- In you we trust, Northern Ireland and at CARA- Celebrating Arts in rural Areas, cross-border Ireland.
http://www.novars.manchester.ac.uk
HYPERLINK "http://www.electro-acoustic.com" http://www.electro-acoustic.com
Diana Simpson initially studied composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with Alistair MacDonald. She recently completed a PhD in composition at the University of Manchester, where she was supervised by David Berezan and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and a Dewar Arts Award. She is now based in London, where she is a lecturer in music technology at Kingston University.
She has been a prizewinner in a number of international competitions including Insulae Electronicae International Competition of Electroacoustic Music (2nd prize, 2004), CIMESP (International Electroacoustic Contest of São Paulo, Public Prize 2005, Honourable Mention 2007), the Bourges Competition of Electroacoustic Music (Residence Prize 2006), SCRIME (Prix SCRIME 2007), L’Espace du Son Diffusion Competition (2nd Prize, 2008), the Pauline Oliveros Prize (Honourable Mention, 2009), Música Viva (Prizewinner, 2009) and Prix Destellos (2009). Residencies have included CEMI (Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia) at the University of North Texas, Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, the Institute for Electroacoustic Music (EMS) in Sweden and Orford Center for the Arts, Montreal. This summer she will be composer-in-residence at the Destellos Foundation in Argentina.
