Flashback (micropolyphony)

Hi, I have been sudying Ligeti's techniques on micropolyphony, an this is the result. Taking the canon technique as in "Lontano" (by Ligeti)...

I used noteperformer, with a bit of mixing-mastering (only to give amplitude and some depth). Yes I know there are better libraries (which I have).., but I don't have the time to work with them.

This piece has some meaning to me (about flashbacks from a traumatizing period of my life when I went into a coma for several weeks, because of covid).

Hope you like it,....., or hate it.

Interesting. An effective work that takes advantage of Ligetti's scheme but I'm only familiar with it from, IIRC, its use in the film 2001. Your work is a good example of how the technique works, building up density as it goes along. I also vaguely remember a piece called "Atmospheres".

While yours is an accomplished work - as you said with particular meaning to yourself, I found it baleful and unnerving. When I looked at the score I wondered why you hadn't condensed it more but could see as the music evolved that it would be difficult to condense without making the score look more difficult. I noticed many triplets with the third quaver (1/8th note) as a rest and wondered what they achieved? The very deep winds were interesting.

So...what seems an accomplishment but won't hide the fact I found it uncomfortable listening. But...perhaps that was the aim?

I love the constantly increasing harmonic tension - this kind of music would be quite fitting in some kind of horror movie.  I do also have to question as Quinn mentioned, if maybe you could have cut down on the number of staves in the score by having 1st & 2nd bassoon on one staff and 3rd & 4th on another and then the contrabassoons on one staff as well.  I haven't looked at the whole score though to see if that would be feasible.  Did you avoid doing that because of the complexity of the different rhythms?  Thanks for sharing this interesting experiment. 

8 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

I love the constantly increasing harmonic tension - this kind of music would be quite fitting in some kind of horror movie.  I do also have to question as Quinn mentioned, if maybe you could have cut down on the number of staves in the score by having 1st & 2nd bassoon on one staff and 3rd & 4th on another and then the contrabassoons on one staff as well.  I haven't looked at the whole score though to see if that would be feasible.  Did you avoid doing that because of the complexity of the different rhythms?  Thanks for sharing this interesting experiment. 

 

Yes, following Ligeti, each instrument is "unique" or soloist. This also happens, for instance, in Metamorphosen by Strauss (23 string instruments).

Take a look at Ligeti's scores (Lontano)

I love it when composers try out new styles and techniques. While I am not particularly a fan of Ligeti's work, still I recognize his contributions to avant-garde music. Your "Flashback" brought to mind many moments of "Atmosphères," what with the pulsating rhythms, the mysterious soundscape, and the dense tone clusters. I perhaps did not find it unnerving or fit for a horror film, as you skillfully broke up the density with interjections by the brass. The score is a nightmare (so is Ligeti's LOL), but there really is no way around that if each instrument is commandeering a stave.

All in all, a very interesting work. I applaude you and your micropolyphonic accomplishment!