Satto (2017)

vlc, perc with objects

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Score

Instrumentation: 

Cello:

water in teapot, teacup

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Percussion:

Knife on metal plate, small drum, ocean drum, low tom, kick drum, bass drum, gravel in pot, extra gravel to throw, 7 coins, bongo, 12 porcelain plates, spark shaker

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Durata: 10 mins

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Listen

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Program note:

A finger lands on a drumhead, and bounces back into the air even before there is a sound.

When Concorde, British-French turbojet supersonic aircraft operated until 2003, travelled faster than the speed of sound, the air pressure waves were forcefully compressed together and bounced back with enormous amounts of sound energy like an explosion called sonic boom.

People experiencing life-threatning event, such as car accident, often report that they perceived time slowing down. Suddenly every detail of the very moment becomes crystal clear and stretched out as if watching a slow motion film.

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Satto (2017) for cello and percussion can be performed as an independent piece or as a part of semi-staged work, Speed (2017).

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Compositional idea:

(The following text should NOT be presented to the audience in any form)

I visited Kiruna in February 2013, and was particularly inspired by the extreme slowness of life in Norrland. I see a person walking towards me on the same street. He walks and walks for a very long time to surpass me and takes very long time to disappear – approximately 30 minutes in total. Absolutely nothing is happening otherwise. Even the faint sunlight seems to take longer time to reach my skin. The sense of slowness and calmness together with focused and minimalistic life event under the faint light and coldness created a sense of strong concentration and tension I have never felt in my life. There is a strong sense of energy hiding behind the calmness as if it is so secretive that you just simply have to find out. Perhaps from the feeling of loneliness? Or the intense silence throughout the city? Why is the slowness gave me such a strong impact? I became interested in how different types of speed can influence one’s expression and musical output.