I had the opportunity to attend “Light and Perspective” at the UBC School of Music’s Wednesday Noon Hours. This afternoon in particular was filled with contemporary pieces. I did not expect what was to come. It was more than your average performance. Combining light, sound, and feeling – I didn’t just hear the performances, I experienced them.
The first performance was brought to us by Paolo Bortolussi and was for flute and electronics. This composition is entitled “Among Fireflies” by Elainie Lillios. This piece made me feel as though I was in a jungle, partly due to the effects of the electronics. I sensed the presence of all sorts of animals. It was not your typical flute piece, rather than just playing the flute, the artist made use of the flute in ways I never knew were possible. He used the keys in unconventional ways and made unusual noises into the flute. Bortolussi made much use of his body and played with his all. It was truly a cacophony of sounds. It felt to me that I was in the presence of more than just fireflies. I saw crocodiles, felt a Jeep pull up in the jungle, and heard elephants of different sizes. It was one way of exploring a distant land.
The second performance was brought to us by Megumi Masaki and was for the piano. This composition is entitled “Epiphanies” by Douglas Finch. Masaki has a particular interest in exploring how image, text, sound, and movement can be combined in live performances using multimedia – this definitely showed through the performance. Masaki not only played the piano, she narrated a video at the same time, plucked the strings of the piano, and took advantage of her body movements. This was quite a comprehensive performance. This piece made me think, mainly due to the narration and peculiar video scenes. The sounds that came from the piano were both pleasant and yet jarring at times. Some homorhythm was present in this piece.
The fourth performance was brought to us by Paolo Bortolussi and Jose Franch-Ballester and was for flute, clarinet, interactive video, and audio electronics. This compostion is entitled “Spark and Sizzle” by Keith Hamel. Interestingly, the interactive video has a display of colour that changes as the flute and clarinet play. The more excitement in the performance, the more excitement in the video. This was something I’d never seen done before and was rather fascinating. There truly was a ‘spark and sizzle’ to this piece – stimulating not just the ears but also the eyes. There was a mix of monophony and polyphony present in this piece, creating great textural interest.
This event was a great experience of a genre of music that I had not yet explored. It was different to say the least. I learned that music can be explored in different ways. It definitely broadened my horizons. Also, I saw a display of creativity. I would recommend that my peers attend such an event.