Ko: Highwire (arr. for soprano sax & electronics)
Expected to ship in 2-3 weeks.
Shipping Policy- Composer: Tonia Ko (1988-)
- Instrumentation (this edition): Soprano Saxophone, Electronics
- Originally for: Oboe, Electronics
- Work: Highwire (2017)
Description
This arrangement of Highwire for saxophone was created in collaboration with Sarah Hetrick with additional input from Joel Ferst. Arranged in 2020.
Highwire features the saxophone as a carrier for soaring melodic lines. While the piece seeks expression within this traditional view of the instrument, it also explores the instrument's ability to color the same note in many different ways. Here, a simple melody is intensified by a full range of techniques, from subtle fingering changes to distortion effects made with the reed position.
In much of my artistic practice, I investigate musical details in a visual/ tactile way. in addition to shading and intensifying pitches, Highwire also creates drama through texture. The electronic component in this piece essentially perforates the melodic line, mimicking the pulsations created through instrumental techniques. Rather than altering the sound itself ( by spectral processing, for example), the computer generates a series of little "windows" that allow sound to come through at varying rates. The results range from a very tight tremolo to powerful echoes that intersect with what is being played. in addition, pre-recorded samples provide a larger harmonic and timbral context for the soloist.
These effects – both acoustic and electronic – create a melody that unfolds in a single direction, and seemingly, with a singular mission. The image of a long, textured line reminds one of high-wire acts and the emotions of trying to traverse such a narrow path above an abyss.
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Ko: Highwire (arr. for soprano sax & electronics)
