for edgars
by Lucie Nezri
for edgars is a piece for electronics and electric guitar.
It is dedicated to and played by my friend Edgars Rubenis with whom I had the chance to spend two (long) evenings rehearsing and recording the piece at Studio Loos. for edgars is the very first musical output of my research where I examine some of the conceptual, practical and perceptual implications of composing with randomness and probabilities. My initial intention was to compose a "variable" model of algorithmic composition for solo instrument and computer that I could potentially revisit later on with a different instrument, other durations, or pitch material. The simple musical concept beneath the piece can be summarized as a gradual and very subtle change of tonal polarity occurring in a rational intonation system. This change of tonal polarity is made possible through stochastic processes applied to pitch (slow, narrow glissando from one tonality to another — potentially comprising "every" pitch in-between) and durations. Following this musical concept, a computer program generates real-time stochastic processes applied to sustained tones, whereas the guitar part follows a fixed score, also derived from computed stochastic processes. Both the electronics and the guitar go gradually through the same change of tonal polarity, at the same pace, all the while working independently. In the piece, the two sound layers meet halfway: they sometimes are distinguishable, as if going in parallel and separate paths, while ambiguously merging at other times.
Working on for edgars confronted me with some of the intricacies of mixing deterministic and random procedures in music. For instance, one has to discern and decide what parts of a computer program, a score, or a setup need to be fixed, what is left for the computer to generate in real-time, and what belongs to the performer's interpretation implies. These multiple choices constitute crucial compositional stages where an initial musical concept may lose its consistency but where a composer may find more musical freedom and take risks. In for edgars, these risks are illustrated in a sonorous fragility, partially due to the timbre chosen for the guitar (use of harmonics and their unpredictable, varying strength and steadiness), contrasting with the sustained tones in the electronics. Moreover, I chose to play with an asymmetrical setup for the piece. The electronics are played on two speakers on the left/center of the room, while the guitar part is heard from one speaker placed on the right side. This setup became an important aspect of the piece, even if it is foreign from the musical concept I was initially after.
Another important question raised in for edgars was (and remains) how to guide a listener within a piece where the perception and the processing of musical information can work on different timespans. Typically, the time needed for listeners to comprehend the subtle changes occurring in the piece varied from one person to another. Generally speaking, the response of listeners was mixed, which I find fascinating and thought-provoking. Listening to for edgars seems to trigger either a very heightened mode of attention or something like "boredom" — or, even an oscillation between the two.
Finally, searching for ways to make the piece "sound" at Studio was a very special adventure. Narrowing Loos's acoustics with sound absorption panels, setting the three loudspeakers needed for the piece, finding the right balance on the mixing desk between the guitar and the electronics, and discussing the ways to play the guitar part with Edgars were essential steps to have a better grasp on the piece.
In brief, my time at Studio Loos allowed me to touch on a myriad of (impersonal and personal) questions surrounding the making of a musical composition. I believe these questions will resonate in my upcoming works, starting with a piece for harpsichord and electronics. Until then, I send my gratitude to Studio Loos and Edgars Rubenis for supporting these musical experiments.
