Readymade: No. 4.2

Instrumentation

Alto flute
1
Bass flute
1
Bassoon
1
Cello
4
Clarinet
1
Double bass
3
Flute
1
French Horn
2
Harp
1
Oboe
1
Percussion
1
Trombone
1
Trumpet
1
Tuba
1
Viola
6
Violin 1
8
Violin 2
8

Additional Information

This piece uses the harmonic language from the jazz standard All the Things You Are by Jerome Kern. I took the four-note chords from the piece and created a series of triads, then wrote these out to form three instrumental lines. I then recorded 3 clarinet players playing each of these lines, holding each note for the duration of a single breath at different dynamics. Having done this I then created a transcription of this recording to make the piece.

In this way the piece treats All the Things You Are as a ‘readymade’ or a ‘found object’ – a term from the visual arts where an artist takes something that already exists and modifies it in a certain way to create something new. In my work I often look to visual art for ideas, and find peace by being in the sparse, cool, serene and sometimes sterile environments of white-wall art galleries. Readymade 4.2 is a reflection of this feeling.

Details

Year
Minutes
9

Recordings

Date recorded
2009
Title
Readymade: No. 4.2
Venue
Birmingham Conservatoire