Hidden Values (2012)

Every year, new inventions push the boundaries of science and enrich our understanding of the natural world. Ancient and seemingly minor inventions have also shaped our societies and affect our everyday in a multitude of ways. A single object can connect to the history of the world, yet the utility of these simple devices go unnoticed. Hidden Value takes a moment to reflect on three of these inventions in three movements of the composition: The umbrella, sight correction and the lock (and key). Two of these movements are played in this concert.

Part I: The Umbrella (Duration 4'22)

An umbrella protects from the weather, but it also defends and deflects, covers and disguises. 'The Umbrella' evokes a surreal rainstorm, and also draws on the metaphor found in a short poem "Instantes", falsely attributed to by Jorge Luis Borges, "I was one of those who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, without a hot-water bottle, and without an umbrella... If I could live again, I would travel lighter. If I could live again, I would begin to walk barefoot from the beginning of spring and I would continue barefoot until autumn ends."

Part II: Optical Tubes (Duration 6'44)

Optical Tubes, apparently invented by Descartes, were glass tubes that touched the eyeball like contact lenses. A large proportion of the adult population wear glasses to correct their vision. Seeing the world in focus or through a haze is something we can choose to do. In Optical Tubes, imagining how it would have been for objects to only appear in focus as you moved towards or away from them is a central musical idea.

The work, in 7th order 3D ambisonics, was composed at IRCAM during a music research residency exploring advanced sound spatialisation techniques in composition. The research residency was funded by IRCAM, The Oslo City Cultural Grant for International collaboration, and the Norwegian Cultural Council.