Strata

This piece develops out of research on the Garden of Forking Paths project on composing for the clarinet to focus on indeterminacy, materiality, and agency. In this piece, the clarinet barrel (below the mouthpiece) has been modified by drilling three holes, each approximately the same size as the standard finger holes on the main joints of the instrument. These holes act as vents that release pressure in an unusual place on the instrument (far higher than the register key, and with larger bore) to create interference in standard fingerings. For much of the piece, Carlos is simply playing normal scales using standard note fingerings, but the key technique described in the score is to be listening out for interferences and to reveal and amplify those in performance. Mostly this manifests as odd jumps in pitch and register between ostensibly neighbouring notes, or multiphonic sounds as he balances two registers trying to sound at once. The piece begins with a single barrel-hole open, and the others stoppered with cork which is then removed as the piece goes on. The piece proceeds by carrying out the same motions but in several differently unstable environments as uncovering different holes alters the territory in which Carlos (clarinettist) explores.