A piece of music commissioned by National Sawdust, and premiered at the 2019 Hildegard Competition Concert. Conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya, and performed by The National Sawdust Ensemble, featuring Jeffrey Ziegler.
Harmoniset is drawn from various sources of spectral analysis: harmonic spectra of pure waveforms, inharmonic spectra of glass bells, and formants of the human voice. It deals with the inherent tonalities of sounds often considered to be 'un-pitched' or otherwise complex to the human ear. Analyzing the composition of these timbres allows them to be expanded into new harmonic structures and rhythms.
The piece also explores a type of perceptual multi-stability, as a result of hocketing. Depending on the focus of attention, it's possible to hear both the part and the whole: the individual voices of instruments, and their overall timbre when blended or rapidly intermingled.
Instrumentation:
Flute
Clarinet
Violin
Cello
Piano
Bowed Vibraphone
Wood block
This piece is currently being expanded for chamber orchestra. You can hear excerpts of the demo recording here:
Part 1:
Part 2: