Paraboles Mixe

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This version was commissioned by Middlesex University as part of the Scambi Workshop, and was realised in 2011.

Henri Pousseur realised his Huit Études Paraboliques in the Cologne studio of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk in 1972. Like many of his compositions these eight electronic studies are open works. Several new versions now exist by Pousseur, Berio and other artists which combine these studies in different ways. The possibility also exists for the addition of new material.

Two studies from ‘Huit Études Paraboliques’ were used to create this Paraboles Mixe version; ‘Les Ailes D’Icare’ and ‘Voyage Aux Élements’.

‘Les Ailes D’Icare’ was divided into several frequency areas, and decisions on what material to keep or discard were made within those areas. The selections were then superimposed and attention was paid to spectromorphological aspects of the emerging events and textures, and to dynamic relationships among the layers.
Further temporal adjustments, changes in dynamics, spatial distribution and motion in the stereo field were made to emphasise the emerging spectromorphologies. ‘Voyage Aux Élements’ was added last; sections of it are heard sparingly and their dynamics change to emphasise certain spectromorphological shapes of the reworked ‘Les Ailes D’Icare’.

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