Sunday, March 17, 2024

"Debita Spissitudo" for Alto Clarinet, Flugelhorn and Euphonium






"Debita Spissitudo" 

for Alto Clarinet, Flugelhorn and Euphonium

Bil Smith Composer

Link to PDF Hi-Res Score



In the notational system of "Debita Spissitudo" for Alto Clarinet, Flugelhorn, and Euphonium, the performers are immediately struck by the pervasive sense of 'suspension' that characterizes its approach to musical transcription and interpretation. This suspension operates not merely at the level of the notes and rhythms inscribed within the score but extends into the very essence of how identity, history, and meaning are negotiated within the musical text. It is a feature that simultaneously invites and disavows association, embodying a unique phenomenological stance that beckons for a closer philosophical investigation.


My notation consists of a cyclo-quantive system and its unique incorporation of cyclical symbols, a feature that profoundly impacts the conceptualization and execution of the composition. Unlike linear notational systems that progress from left to right, suggesting a teleological movement towards resolution, the cyclo-quantive system embraces the notion of recurrence and perpetual motion.


The cyclical notational lexicon is not merely decorative but serves a critical functional purpose, encoding information about the temporal and dynamic aspects of the music in a manner that encourages both performers and listeners to engage with the piece as a fluid, ever-revolving entity. Each cycle within the score symbolizes a return to a thematic or motivic origin, yet with each iteration, subtle variations are introduced, creating layered experiences of thematic development and transformation.



The score of "Debita Spissitudo" can be said to exist in a state of ontological flux, a condition where multiple identities and definitions are not just acknowledged but are fundamentally integral to the work's conception and execution. This condition of multiplicity is not accidental but is inscribed within the notational system itself, which, through its innovative use of symbols, gestures, and directives, creates a space where varied interpretations and understandings can coexist. This system, both literally and figuratively suspended, operates as a liminal domain where the traditional boundaries that delineate musical identity and meaning become porous, allowing for a tapestry of historical and cultural associations to permeate the work.



The notational devices employed in "Debita Spissitudo" are emblematic of this suspension. They function not as definitive commands but as invitations to explore the potentialities inherent in the musical material. These invitations, however, carry with them a paradoxical directive: to acknowledge that any single association or interpretation is, by necessity, incomplete. In this way, the score becomes a site of perpetual negotiation, a space where the act of musical interpretation is both constrained and liberated by the possibilities engendered by the notational system.



This dynamic of invitation and disavowal is further complicated by the presence of attending histories within the score. Each notational decision resonates with a multiplicity of historical and cultural references, suggesting a depth of context that informs the reading and performance of the work. Yet, the suspended state of the notational system ensures that these histories remain in flux, present but never wholly definable, contributing to the work's intertextuality.






































“Lucent Confitage” For Ensemble Viola Deora. Verity Troupe Cornet in D, Calibrium Banjo, Alto Flute (Mars Hill Tuning), Fulcanelli Concept Oboe Bil Smith Composer




“Lucent Confitage”

For Ensemble

Viola Deora

Verity Troupe Cornet in D

Calibrium Banjo

Alto Flute (Mars Hill Tuning)

Fulcanelli Concept Oboe

Bil Smith Composer

A Commission From Discovery Communications










Saturday, March 16, 2024

"Xontic Arroyo (Absentia Portrait)" for Trombone, Cello and Piano. Bil Smith Composer


"Xontic Arroyo (Absentia Portrait)"

for Trombone, Cello and Piano.  

Bil Smith Composer

Link to Full Score (PDF)


In contemplating the notational lexicon found within the score of "Xontic Arroyo (Absentia Portrait)" for Trombone, Cello, and Piano, I introduce a certain defiance of traditional figuration, offering a case study in the ethical and philosophical dimensions of musical notation


The decision to eschew immediately legible figuration in favor of a more complex, compound notational lexicon is not merely an aesthetic choice but a principled stance against what I deem to be an inherently regressive adherence to traditional notation systems. Such systems carry a reactionary gravity from which no subject—no matter how ostensibly critical or subversive—can truly escape.


"Xontic Arroyo" thus serves as both a record and a provocateur, engaging in an emerging discourse that seeks to illuminate and challenge the contextual changes, challenges, and possibilities that the discipline of music, and perhaps society more broadly, has thus far preferred to ignore.


The composition invites the performers to consider the notational system not as a neutral tool but as a locus of power, one that shapes the creation, interpretation, and experience of the work.


The composition's challenge to the performers underscores the importance of disciplinary awareness and reflexivity.