De Perfecta Machina Necandi

voices and ensemble – 2016 – 3′

voices and ensemble – 2016 – 3′

This piece, although short, is a complex one, and I don’t necessarily mean it musically. It involves an independent, quasi-secret trio plotting by themselves from within the ensemble, as well as a cluster of concepts embedded and a high level of polytextuality deployed by the singers, who undergo a series of character layering and extenuating timbral exploration whose notation meant a big deal of stress and fun.

Yet, besides technicalities, the piece stems from a shockingly emotional (almost physical) reaction to the realization of unfairness in some of its most savage and horrendously clever versions. The stress, the confusion, the impotency, the guilt and the suffering are somehow all mixed and regurgitated in these three intense minutes.

The piece was performed by Orkest de Ereprijs conducted by Rob Vermeulen during the Young Composers’ Meeting 2016 in Apeldoorn, and then in September at Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Utrecht.