Commissioned by the "Studio of New Music" Ensemble
KORU KARI.
Marsyas vs Apollo: remix (2011)
Marsyas vs Apollo: remix (2011)
For Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Percussion,
Harp, Piano and Assistant
Harp, Piano and Assistant
"KORU KARI" literally translates from Latvian as "the choir's war". I was phonically and metaphorically attracted to this title. It has become a bearer of the message that "wars" cannot be avoided in a competition culture, in a culture that is deeply rooted in
the tradition of rivalry in mastery, where there is an "win and lose" dichotomy. The myth of Apollo and Marsyas, telling about the progress of the instrumental "battle" between Apollo playing the kifar and Marsyas playing the Avlos, became the symbol of such
a contest for me.
the tradition of rivalry in mastery, where there is an "win and lose" dichotomy. The myth of Apollo and Marsyas, telling about the progress of the instrumental "battle" between Apollo playing the kifar and Marsyas playing the Avlos, became the symbol of such
a contest for me.
According to one conjecture, Marsyas played such glissandi on the avlos that are inaccessible to instruments with strings, and Apollo achieved victory after singing.
The playing on the Avlos was spontaneous and Dionysian, the sound was harsh and nasal in the upper register...
I divided the ensemble into two "instrumental" groups. Four wind instruments stand in pairs with their backs to each other, forming a square:
trombone / saxophone
oboe / clarinet
They alternately raise their instruments up, as if visualizing a model of an avlos.
The "Kifar" had to be modelled based on manipulations of strings and quasi-strings. The piano is played by two performers, mainly on the strings, while the cymbals and timpani are played using a special playing technique employing fishing lines. In fact, one could say that this is an updated version – "Marsyas and Apollo: remix".
"KORU KARI" is also a phonic battle of two spectral worlds: the world of open sounds "a" and "i" (on extended lips), spectrally belonging to the upper register, and the world of narrow sounds "o" and "u" (on lips folded into the tube) spectrally belonging to the lower register.
The playing on the Avlos was spontaneous and Dionysian, the sound was harsh and nasal in the upper register...
I divided the ensemble into two "instrumental" groups. Four wind instruments stand in pairs with their backs to each other, forming a square:
trombone / saxophone
oboe / clarinet
They alternately raise their instruments up, as if visualizing a model of an avlos.
The "Kifar" had to be modelled based on manipulations of strings and quasi-strings. The piano is played by two performers, mainly on the strings, while the cymbals and timpani are played using a special playing technique employing fishing lines. In fact, one could say that this is an updated version – "Marsyas and Apollo: remix".
"KORU KARI" is also a phonic battle of two spectral worlds: the world of open sounds "a" and "i" (on extended lips), spectrally belonging to the upper register, and the world of narrow sounds "o" and "u" (on lips folded into the tube) spectrally belonging to the lower register.
Instrumental compositions / Projects
Multimedia project for ensemble, electronics and video
For Double Bass, Silent Piano, Tape
and Soprano and Tenor ad libitum
Cycle of pieces for different instruments
For Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trombone, Percussion, Harp, Piano and Assistant
For Bass Clarinet, Trombone, Piano, Harp, Synthesizer, Percussion and Strings
For Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Piano, Percussion,
2 Violins, Viola and Cello
2 Violins, Viola and Cello
