Over the course of three movements this
piece blends the cello with the female form. The movements become progressively less and
less interactive as the performer is "merged" with the media rather than controlling it.
In the first movement each pizzicato attack causes an image to be displayed briefly.
Certain pitches also cause audio samples to sound, with the software deciding
which sample to play. As the movement progresses images of hands on the
cello begin to be blended with images of hands on the body, symbolizing a blending
of the two. The movement ends with a coda of sparse arpeggiations,
triggering images of feet and hands.
In the second movement the volume of the cello controls how much of the female form we see at the
beginning, and how much of a large eye is shown at the end. The critical point in the movement is when
the eye first blinks: at that point we realize we are not looking at a photograph. The blinking of the eye
references Manet's painting Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe, a painting in which the gaze of the
nude female is directed at the viewer, reversing the roles of object and viewer. In my piece the blinking
reverses roles and the audience is now being observed: this gaze is strengthened with the
subsequent multiple eyes. Following that we are drawn completely into the eyes, accompanied by an
ascending cello tremolo..
The final movement is a frenetic collage of audio
and image, combining processed acoustic and
electronic sounds with cello and body projections.
The result is a disorienting flow of sound and light
culminating in the performance of the now-merged
body and instrument.
