BRUCE CRAIG ROTER: CONSTRUCT for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello

FOR MORE ON THE MUSIC OF BRUCE CRAIG ROTER VISIT www.bruceroter.com. CONSTRUCT for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello was written in 2010 on a commission from The Esther Massry Gallery at The College of Saint Rose. The music was composed asa collaborative effort with the artist Creighton Michael for the exhibition "Tangible Marking: The Dimensional Drawing of Creighton Michael." In composing CONSTRUCT, Roter gained inspiration from Michael's artwork as well as his creative process. This is especially true with regard to the manipulation of materials to create dimensional objects. Whereas the artist created an interplay of spontaneity and structure by overlaying materials upon a grid, CONSTRUCT presents the introduction and manipulation of sonic events as they are layered upon the relative stability of a steady pulse (most frequently reflected by the plucked notes of string instruments). Like pins upon a grid, these melodic events or "motives" are subjected to manipulation by altering their melodic contours or adjusting their intervallic content. The individual components are subsequently juxtaposed and layered to create larger, complex and more dynamic musical textures. Indeed, episodes within this quartet suggest a suspension of time or forward motion (passages where the "aural grid" is obscured) so as to allow a listener to "take in the moment" as various elements trade places between foreground and background. Furthermore, an especially inspiring concept drawn from Michael's work was the use of shadows to lend an added dimension. CONSTRUCT works with this idea through the use of imitative counterpoint, which creates an echoing or "shadowing" effect. While the concept of dimension was significant within Michael's work, the present collaboration offers viewers and audience members an added dimension. Indeed, the vibrancy and interest created between structure and spontaneity (the "fixed" versus the "mobile/temporal") as seen in Michael's work becomes reinterpreted in a new and wonderful way through this combined visual/aural experience.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Violin
• Viola
• Classical
• Flute
• Folk
• Cello
• David
• Bebe
• Yvonne
• Hansbrough
• Amanda
• Brin
• William
• Hakim
• Creighton
• Michael
• Bruce
• Craig
• Roter