This last year I responded to a call for works from the Parvenue Duo, a group consisting of Megan Kyle, oboe, (a classmate of mine at Oberlin) and Katie Weissman, cello, based in Buffalo, NY. The piece I composed for oboe, cello, and live electronics ended up being called Splinters.
This was my first venture into live electronics for performers other than myself (and was followed by Trio, described in this blog post) The live interaction is limited but effective. Any time that I was able to use fixed electronics (i.e. sound files) I did, but at three points in the piece the performer’s live input is recorded and granulated into clouds, creating chordal accompaniment from a monophonic sound source.
First use of live-granulation in _Splinters _(cue 7)
The piece has a number of different textures and relationships between the instruments and electronics. The work will be performed in Buffalo, NY and recorded by the Parvenue Duo in the fall.
UPDATE: here is a video of Parvenue Duo performing the piece: