Erik Baron et d-zAkord - 58' CD released in 2021 catalog number 027 C

 

                                        

Notes on 58'

THE ORIGINS

58' was composed in 2010 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of d-zAkord. I wanted a very minimalist piece with few sound events and long silences. At that time we presented t'Drone(s)Scape', a sound/living installation lasting 3 hours. The public was invited to sit or lie down in the center of the sonic maelstrom for a multicast travel. It is in this context that 58' was imagined.

LA MONTE YOUNG

It is also the study of La Monte Young's 'Trio' (written in 1958) that inspired me certain parts of this piece in which there are a few winks !

                                     

D-ZAKORD

For 58' the set is 5 basses and 7 electric guitars.

                                            

BOW AND EBOW

The piece is played entirely with Ebow (electronic bow) as well as with real bows only at two moments (from 0' to 3'40 and from 24'00 to 26'20).

                                                     


MICRO TONE

For this piece, the orchestra is divided into 2 groups: the first is normally tuned to 440 hz

the second is tuned a quarter tone higher in order to create intervals, chords and harmonics in resonance with the first group.These new sounds would be impossible with a normal tuning of the whole orchestra.

                                     


SHEET MUSIC AND CHRONO

Although unconventional, the 58' score is extremely precise. The musicians follow a graphic score, with time passing and indications of their interventions.The orchestra is directed by a chronometer, it is visible by all the musicians and by the public.Visual and aesthetic, this chronometer is projected in large format (3mx3m) on two or three walls, it adds its share of mystery to the soundscapes. The public can thus evaluate the real time which passes (or which does not pass), so much the notion of felt time is modified by the rhythm very slow drones.All musicians clearly see the seconds ticking by effortlessly and without any risk of getting lost in the room. One of the advantages of writing by freezing time precisely is not to risk play in concert for too long or too quickly, especially with music that makes you lose track of time.The only drawback of this device is that any notion of temporal improvisation is impossible once the stopwatch is started!