Blocks

McCauley, Ed

About the work

This piece takes inspiration from two sources: Paul Klee’s Ancient Sound, Abstract on Black (1925) and Morton Feldman’s Durations compositions, characterised by “sounds of imprecise duration, where instruments beginning together and then play on in their own time”.

Technical notes

There are two distinct modes of writing in use. In sections A and C parts are co-ordinated in phrase lengths corresponding to the Fibonacci series. However, Section B is unmetered with each part playing the notes in the block at a slow, even tempo. The conductor or ensemble leader has the task of cueing the next block once all parts have completed their block of notes.

The sections marked ‘solo’ should be allocated to a small number of players (not necessarily one) at the discretion of the conductor.

Origin

Call for PIeces, CoMA London 2010

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