Claudio Pompili: Medieval Purity In A Bed Of Thorns (1981)

Abstract

"Medieval Purity in a Bed of Thorns was realised on a New England Digital Computer Music System situated at the Elder Conservatorium Electronic Music Studio in Adelaide. It was first performed during the 1982 Adelaide Festival. The 'instrumentation, of the work can be considered akin to the concerto grosso style, having both concertina and ripieno divisions. There are eight solo voices supported by four textural voices. A clear delineation is made between the static background and the contrapuntal foreground sounds. The piece is in three sections. The first is an exposition of material leading to an increase in tension which is subsequently resolved. The middle section is an expose of the concertina voices, but in a new timbral guise and with a degradation of the previously established rhythmic relationships. The last section begins with a sudden introduction of the background sounds, and proceeds to the climax of the piece. Strict rhythmic relationships in the concertino voices are once again enforced and there is a return to the original sound or colour. The rhythmic structure is of primary compositional importance; it is both structurally and stylistically significant. The underlying concept is based on the ideas set forth by Pierre Boulez in Boulez on Music Today. In referring to a particular polyphonic rhythmic distribution, he uses the term 'a block of duration', with graphic illustrations. A number of these 'durational blocks, comprise the raw material�ofthis composition. The primary compositional idea is the successive exposition of various 'durational blocks'. The difference between 'blocks', or events as they occur in succession, is the time base which is selected from a range of twelve values, beginning at 10 centiseconds and increasing by the ratio of the golden mean to 1987 centiseconds. Therefore, with long time values, the 'durational blocks', will display perceivable rhythmic complexity (based on the medieval rhythmic modes), whilst with short time values, rhythm will be aurally imperceptible as separate attacks and thus cross into the region of timbre. The systematisation of nearly every aspect of compositional procedure is reminiscent of the 1950s avant-garde, yet imbued with the electronic colour of the 1970s." -- Claudio Pompili Show more