WORK IN PROGRESS
This is a new project with composer Dee Isaacs and puppeteer Iulian Furtuna. Taking one of the Bach 'Cello Suites as a starting point for musical deconstruction and narrative construction we will develop a performance piece studying transcription in the tradition of Webern, Busoni and Kurtag.
Kurtag added a second pair of hands in his Bach Transcriptions, Busoni more notes, weight and volume. 'Suite' adds puppetry, theatre and digital technology. My role in the project will be to design an interactive table that has theatrical elements built into it. The laptop will be sidelined and replaced with a 'real-world' interface for making music and interjection.
In the developmental stages of the project I will explore ways of subtly transcibing sections of the suite, perhaps highlighting certain frequencies and harmonics, adding depth by occasionally mixing the cello into the PA system. Other ideas include study of the huge body of recorded versions and interpretations of the 'cello suites, subtracting one recording from another and presenting the remainder. Colleagues at the University of Edinburgh have built convincing physical models of the 'cello and there is scope to incorporate a virtual 'cello element that interacts with the live 'cello.