Spectral Night Music I

by Matti Heininen

discomposed figures for accordion and percussion

Description

This work for accordion and percussion is the first composition in a series of chamber music works dealing with the concept of spectres. I've already delved into the topic with Spettrale [ob, pno., perc.] written in 2017 for Trio SurPlus.

The word ”spectral” has two different meanings: Firstly, in everyday use it stands for ”ghostly”, and secondly it refers to the spectral nature of sounds (spectrum, spectralism etc). The two meanings of the word belong to different cultural domains and don't have much in common. Therefore, an important challenge when composing this work was to find––or artificially create––ways for these two meanings to overlap or interrelate. As an example, I employed the concept of ”ghost-sounds” to refer to an aura of a sound, something reminiscent of the past, while at the same time creating palpable relations between musical moments via spectral, sounding properties. This way, the spectral relations of sounds––spectral proximity, in particular––became important in the creation of musical meaning.

In the subtitle too there is a double meaning: the phrase ”discomposed figures” refers directly to the act of composing. At the same time, it stands for something or someone being disturbed or even shocked. Hence, it tells something about the way in which the work is composed or conceived of, but also suggest a certain type of expression or mood.

Matti Heininen 12.3.2021

Instrumentation

acc, perc

Category

Chamber Works

Premiere

Ensemble Etendis: acc. Margit Kern, perc. Olaf Tzschoppe, May 2021, Klangbrücken Festival, Hannover.

Commisioned by / dedications

Commissioned by the Hanover Society for New Music (HGNM). Dedicated to Ensemble Etendis

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Archive number

MF35072

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