Friday, July 28, 2023

Recording: "Beyond It A Quonset Of Clumber Spaniels"


"Beyond It A Quonset Of Clumber Spaniels" for Three String Quartets, Iontophoretic Delivery System and Vectrome
In this work, the material substance does not change... it adapts, refocuses, while retaining its singular identity.. The character of these chords differs throughout: some shimmer and pulsate like the vibration of adjunct or overlapping color values.
In this piece the substance does not exist in and of itself. Rather, it dissolves into a process of musical flow and becoming that constantly changes and can not be captured at any one moment; everything is in flux.
On SoundCloud:

GlycoMimetics, Man Ray and Vatican Roulette. The Score.









"GlycoMimetics, Man Ray and Vatican Roulette"

For B Flat Trumpet

Bil Smith Composer



"Recollectionist" for B Flat Trumpet .


There's this word... 'Phenom'.  Just like the Williams sisters, performers can be 'Phenoms.'

Yes, I do purposely write music that may be unplayable and uninterpretable for the same reason Cage wrote the Freeman Etudes (Yes, he did, although in the back of his mind, he always hoped).

It is exhilarating to find brilliant interpreters of your compositional efforts that live and breathe the work. Passionate and so entrenched/entranced by the prospect to be the first to accomplish what others can not do.

Today's rehearsal and recording is a complete event for a complete day. I'm going to find some wine now.

"Recollectionist" for B Flat Trumpet . Thanks to Vivendi for the opportunity to make this a realization.

Violin 'Hubris'


Saturday, July 22, 2023

New Work In Progress - July, 2023

 









Tranche Notation


The Tranche Notation System

This hyper-complex system incorporates color elements within a zeta-code, while subtly borrowing from the transformative Circos visualization algorithm. Within its labyrinthine design, the Tranche Notation System ushers composers and performers alike into uncharted territory of chromatic narratives and interpretative possibilities.

Coloring the Soundscape: The Zeta-Code Revelation

As if excavated from the depths of a surreal dream, the Tranche Notation System introduces a zeta-code, where musical elements are expressed through a kaleidoscope of colors. This dynamic fusion of visual and auditory sensations shatters the confines of traditional black-and-white musical notation. Like a painter's brush on a blank canvas, the Tranche Notation System allows composers to sculpt their soundscapes with unparalleled freedom, invoking a symphony of chromatic intricacies.

Drawing inspiration from Castellani's mastery of surface and depth, the Tranche Notation System becomes a canvas of unseen depths conveying a fascination with mortality and transformation, inviting performers to traverse a surreal landscape of musical imagery. Much like Castellani's "Superficie Bianca," the notation surface remains deceptively serene, concealing a complex network of colors, visual testaments, discordant lines, and tactile impressions. With each note, a new dimension unfolds.

The Circos Veil: A Transformational Visualization

At the heart of the Tranche Notation System lies an enigmatic secret - the subtle appropriation of the transformative Circos visualization algorithm. Beneath the surface on this compositional archetype lies a Lacanian void, representing a realm of boundless possibilities. This borrowing from Circos serves as a catalyst for transformative potential, offering composers a myriad of options for representing complex musical structures. It further challenges the traditional perception of musical notation as merely linear, unveiling a multidimensional vista of interpretative layers.

Hyper-Complexity: Unlocking the Notational Enigma

Composers embark on a cryptic journey, akin to deciphering an elusive riddle, as they navigate the labyrinth of colors, zeta-codes, and visual arcs. Within this intricate web of signifiers, each shade, line, and curve intertwines with musical meaning.  

Inquiries into ideology resonate as ideology obscures underlying truths allowing for an unmediated encounter with score. By challenging the normative musical conventions, this notation system liberates the performative subjectivity.

The Tranche Notation System captures the ephemeral nature of sound through dynamic symbols in motion. Each musical gesture becomes an artistic alchemy, evoking metamorphosis and renewal. 

"The Irrigator's Car" For Bass Flute, Voice and Electronics (La Voiture de l'Irrigateur)


The Irrigator's Car

For Bass Flute, Voice and Electronics

Bil Smith Composer

Published by LNM Editions (Laboratorie New Music)

Link to PDF Score