Damian Catera: The End of History v.2. Performance at Chelsea Art Museum 7/08 (excerpt)

Original Program Notes from Sonic Self Exhibit

This is the latest in a series of improvised solo laptop performances where recordings of historic pieces of Western art music are appropriated, digitally sampled and algorithmically manipulated. In previous performances, pieces from the Baroque period served as the source material . The objective for this phase is to unravel this nineteenth century structure using the tools and paradigms of twentieth and post twentieth century music. Utilizing randomization algorithms, written in the MAX/MSP programming environment, the original recording is randomly cut up, manipulated and re-assembled. The resulting soundscape is an improvised, radically decomposed transformation of the original. Pitch, note duration, note order and other parameters are all randomly altered. In the end, nineteenth century order-based music is reinterpreted through contemporary randomness and probability based processes.


Completed in 1803 admist the trajectory of the enlightenment and its byproduct, the rise of Napoleon, the original piece has long been considered transitional in the evolution of the composer. It is believed that Beethoven originally conceived of the piece as an homage to Napoleon, but altered the title out of disgust once Napoleons desire for conquest became manifest.


It is the composers recognition and realization of the inherent contradictions of the western philosophical project that makes the original worthy of exploration and sonic abuse.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Beethoven
• Sound Art
• Experimental Music
• Multimedia
• Romantic
• Music
• Computer
• Performance