Sound Shapes

for harp and interactive computer
composed 2008
commissioned by New York University Steinhardt
premiered New York University Steinhardt November 2008
Sofia Asunción Claro, harp

The work falls in four parts, separated by three cadenzas. The harp performance is extended by realtime techniques of transformations in the frequency domain. The cadenzas are controlled by the player through arm and hand gestures captured by a video camera. The material for the cadenzas consists of the preceding musical section, which is recorded live during performance. In each cadenza the gestures are analyzed in realtime by means of an optical flow algorithm for their character as derivatives of speed, articulation and amount. This gives combinations of the categories slow/fast, smooth/jerky and little/much, and the outcome is used to index into the recorded material. The material has, upon recording, been separated into musical phrases through its harmonic and spectral content. The phrases are played back in processed form, backwards.

The work with gestures is inspired by the work of Rudolf Laban and Marc Leman.

List of Works

Categories

Score
Interactive
Amateur
Solo
Installations
Sound art
Chamber music
Stage music
Orchestra
Chamber orchestra

Laptop
Vocal
Choir
Keyboard
Brass
Woodwind
String
Percussion