A home for new and unusual music from all corners of the classical genre, brought to you by the power of public media. Second Inversion is a service of Classical KING FM 98.1.
Violin Phase is the final installment in our Steve Reich Counterpoint/Phase video trio, joining New York Counterpoint and Cello Counterpoint, available on our video page. All three pieces, plus Reich’s Nagoya Marimbas, were presented on a concert at On the Boards on February 2, 2016 organized by James Holt and Erin Jorgensen.
This version of Violin Phase is performed by Luke Fitzpatrick (violin solo) using a custom live electronics looping system developed by Marcin Pączkowski. The traditional performance of this piece involves either four violin players, or one player who prepares a pre-recorded tape loop in the studio. In this version, the tape loop is substituted with the live electronics system, which uses no pre-recorded material. The sound of the violin is captured and “looped” in real time, during the performance of the piece. The looping process involves a precise time-stretching algorithm used to align not only whole loops, but also each beat within each loop. Multiple measures are subject to looping, increasing the diversity of the repeating sound. In order to ensure rhythmic precision, live electronics performer is supervising the semi-automated beat-detection mechanism, making adjustments on-the-fly if necessary. He is also responsible for triggering recording and playback in the appropriate sections of the piece.
In December 2015, Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) and The Nouveau Classical Project presented the world premiere of Miller’s Peace Symphony: 8 Stories at Seattle’s Cornish Playhouse. Second Inversion was able to capture some of this piece, which you can read about below.
“Inspired by the everyday stories of the last remaining survivors of the nuclear bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the idea behind this work came from Miller’s personal interaction with eight Hibakusha (被爆者 Atomic bomb survivors) on Peace Boat’s 83rd Global Voyage (Peace Boat is an international non-governmental and non-profit organization that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment) where Miller recently served as a guest educator and artist-in-residence.
Hibakusha’s stories highlight the humanitarian consequences of these weapons of mass destruction, educate youth, and help to bring about a nuclear free world. Miller has sampled the words and stories of Hibakusha to create electronic and acoustic musical portraits that resonate with some of the deepest issues facing modern society.” –Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky)
The stories Miller engages come from several of the last survivors of the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and he takes their tales and weaves together a sound portrait of one of the most powerful moments of the 20th Century.
A few excerpts from an interview between the chair of Cornish College of the Artswith DJ Spooky about Peace Symphony:
Tom Baker: First of all, how in the world do you find the time for all that you do as a creative artist? And secondly, do you find the time to notice the rhythm of the space between things with what must be an incredibly busy life?
Paul D. Miller: I would say everyone is feeling that they never have enough time in the 21st century. For me, music, art, and literature are all simply reflections of the same creative impulse. It’s a core issue in the 21st Century. Capitalism forces our attention span to be framed by the huge array of commercial advertising that inundate us. I guess you could say that I use my art and compositions to create more time and space to think about all the issues facing us, and distill it all in one form. Music is the language we all speak.
TB: This new piece, Peace Symphony, draws on a dramatic and profoundly disturbing time in world history. I know that you were artist-in-residence for Peace Boat (an international non-governmental and non-profit organization that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment). Was that experience an inspiration for this piece?
PDM: Japan and Germany took radically different routes after World War 2. Japan has an amazing group of peace activists and so does Germany, but Japan has a very different relationship to its collective memory of the war. I wanted to talk about memory with the survivors to see what could be done with their story. It’s a story we Americans never get a chance to actually hear. That’s what this project bears witness to: it has to be about purple to people shared experiences. Anything else is government propaganda. I try make this as much about humanity as possible.
TB: Your work encompasses so many disparate pathways, though there always seems to be singular vision at play, even in the midst of intertwined collaboration. How do you reconcile these diverse adventures and creative work into an aesthetic focus?
PDM: Inter-disciplinary art is the legacy of some of my favorite composers – from John Cage on one hand and Nam June Paik on the other. Aesthetics in the 21st century is one of the most complex forces because it encompasses everything about what it means to be a creative person in this Era. DJ culture is a kind of template because it’s always about searching for new ways to reconsider history. That’s what a good mix does. It gives you a good idea of what is possible.
Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky is a composer, multimedia artist and writer whose work immerses audiences in a blend of genres, global culture, and environmental and social issues. His written work has been published by The Village Voice, The Source, and Artforum, among others, and he is the Editor of Origin Magazine. Miller’s work has appeared in the Whitney Biennial; The Venice Biennial for Architecture; the Ludwig Museum in Cologne; Kunsthalle, Vienna; The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the Miami/Art Basel fair, and many other museums and galleries.
Continuing our series of “Steve Reich videos around Seattle,” we’re pleased to share Rose Bellini’s performance of Cello Counterpoint at On the Boards!
This is our second of threeSteve Reich videosin collaboration with On the Boards Ambassador James Holt, who is presenting a concert dedicated to the music of Steve Reich on Tuesday, February 2 at 8pm:
Counterpoint | Phase– A hypnotic evening of music in a non-traditional setting from the American master of minimalism.
LINEUP: Nagoya Marimbas: Erin Jorgensen & Memmi Ochi Cello Counterpoint: Rose Bellini New York Counterpoint: Rachel Yoder Violin Phase: Luke Fitzpatrick/Marcin Pączkowski
Pre-sales for this event are sold out. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
CellistRose Belliniis an avid performer of a wide variety of music,especially contemporary and experimental music. She regularly performs with classical music ensembles, modern dance companies, bands, and chamber and orchestral groups from Seattle to New York City to San Francisco.
A founding member of mixed-chamber ensemblesREDSHIFTandHotel Elefant, Rose also regularly appears with theSeattle Modern Orchestraand Seattle Rock Orchestra. Other notable appearances include with the Wordless Music Orchestra, Ensemble Signal, FLUX Quartet, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, East Village Opera Company, Phoenix Ensemble, folk and rock bands, and in venues from ranging from neighborhood bars to Carnegie Hall.
Rose frequently collaborates with living composers from around the world and often premieres and records new works for cello and for chamber ensemble. A doctoral graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington, her primary teachers were Emilio Colón and Janos Starker.
As an arts entrepreneur, Rose has established herself as a resourceful fundraiser and leader in the music and arts community working in development for a variety of organizations. Rose serves on the board of theSwitchboard Music Festival in San Francisco, CA.
What would happen if you combined the instrumental forces of a string quartet, rock band, and jazz combo? You’d get the awesome Austin-based symphonic rock band, Mother Falcon. This is “Quiet Mind,” from their third full-length album Good Luck Have Fun, recorded at Barboza in Seattle on November 17, 2015.
