Duet for clarinet and computer performer, live electronics and preprepared electroacoustic sound material.
duration 12'40
Natasha Barrett 2000
Liquid crystals occupy the middle ground between crystaline solids and ordinary liquids, with regard to symmetry and energy. The structure of this music work attempts to harness the transition between these two states of liquid and solid, with both literal and metaphorical reference to symmetry, restraint, bonding forces, and unrestrained flow. The musical projection of these ideas are enhanced through the use of computers performing live sound transformation and spatialisation.
Equality in volume level should be maintained between the acoustic and electroacoustic materials.
Two computers are required. One installed with a stereo sound card and used to play back the preprepared materials (which can be heard on the CDr), one installed with an 8-track sound card for live signal processing.
One performer is in control of the live signal processing, and this person should rehearse with the clarinet performer, just as is he or she were a conventional instrumental performer. The computer that is used to play back soundfiles, is contolled by the clarinettist through the use of a foot pedal.
The electroacoustic and computer parts are two-fold:
1. Pre-prepared electroacoustic material is stored on the computer as a series of sound files. These are played back or 'triggered' in an overlapping sequence to create the effect of a continuous tape part. Triggered sound files are used instead of a continuously running DAT or CD so that the performer is not rigidly tied to a click track, yet can still maintaining accurate synchronisation with the electroacoustic part. Many of the sound files can be triggered with flexible timing of up to a few seconds if rubato is desired.
2. Live signal processing is performed on the clarinet sound. The purpose of the live signal processing is to integrate acoustic and electroacoustic sound-worlds in the one space, using spatialisation, filtering, modulation and segmentation techniques.
Once the computer outputs are set up correctly, (see instructions on CDr) the MSP patch executes all loudspeaker signal changes.
To obtain a clear impression of the music, the score should be read at the same time as listening to the pre-prepared sound materials. Tracks 1 and 2 are an example realisation of the pre-prepared electroacoustic sound materials as if triggered in performance (resulting in a continuous tape part, in two parts). Tracks 3 - 23 are the 20 individual sound files, triggered live.
Technical requirements:
Two Macinotsh Computers, G3 350Mhz, 128 mb RAM.
One stereo soundcard
One 8-channel soundcard
Two condenser microphones
8 or more full range loudspeakers, with suitable mixing desk.
Each audio channel from the 8-track soundcard should be routed to a separate loudspeaker, starting number one on front right, numbering clockwise with number 8 on the front left. The stereo soundcard audio outputs should be sent to the front four loudspeakers at high level, and to the next pair back at medium level.
128 mb RAM.
One stereo soundcard
Two condenser microphones
Suitable loudspeakers for concert hall coverage
Technical set-up routing can be found in the performance score.