Ad Libitum (failed) Experiment

.An experiment with Lutoslawski's ad libitum method (more or less) using three flutes. First a heterophonic 12-tone row then an aggregate section (each flute playing 4 pitches.)

It doesn't really work that well, some nice moments perhaps. Also please forgive my slightly shoddy flute playing, I have only been playing for a year and a half.

For a proper explanation and post-match analysis go to... http://complementinversion.blogspot.com/2009/04/lutoslawskis-ad-libitum-metho...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• flute
• ad
• libitum
• experiment
• failed
• lutoslawski
• heterophony
• 12-tone
• row
• atonal
• post-tonal
• aggregate
• ed
• lawes

[edwardlawes]

continued..

check out the blogpost about this video using the link in the video information (I can't put the link in this comment section for some reason)

there is more info about this experiment there.

[RodrigusVI]

I cant say that your experiment failed, in fact it sounds pretty well though, it doesnt sound like lutoslawski's which seems to be ur target.

It's a nice using of ad lib anyway, well done.

[edwardlawes]

Wasn't trying to sound like Lutoslawski really, just looking for a simple way of getting fairly complex or dense sounding counterpoint without relying on a pulse (or very complex notation which is hard to read)

[RodrigusVI]

But it works fine... or if you think it doesnt plz explain me why, I'm still studying music, I'm at 3rd year, yet learning about romantic period, but I love contemporary music.

[edwardlawes]

If you think it works fine then it does :- ) (if it sounds right it is right)

But it wasn't quite what I wanted, the first section sounds like it needs more voices (more than 3) or less pitches per voice (my opinion.) It should be more dense and blurred out or clearer and more minimal, one or the other.

[edwardlawes]

continued...

The second aggregate section sounds good in places but some of the vertical alignments don't work, e.g. the semitone clash at 0.52 seconds (Ab and A natural with an Eb at the bottom, could work, but not in that context, in my opinion, too dissonant, I didn't think the whole thing would sound so consonant but arguably the tone of it is set by the diminished triad at the beginning leaving that tritone/semitone chord exposed and somewhat ugly, it sounds wrong to me.)

[WrestlingHeretic]

Well done! An experiment worth having done in my view.

[poozie81]

I think this sounds beautiful, Ed.