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Into the Maelstrom

Spontaneous Combustion

Spontaneous Combustion (1991), was commissioned by and is dedicated
to saxophonist Timothy Timmons, and is the ninth in a series of
works that combine soloists with a computer-generated
accompaniment that is comprised solely of sounds from the solo
instrument. The effect is rather like a concerto for performer and
him/her self, exhibiting all the dramatic relationships of any
concerto, such as solo and “tutti” passages, changing relationships between the participants (leader, follower, antagonist, partner), etc.
The saxophone sounds were recorded, edited, and stored on a 386 machine, manipulated and mixed using Csound software, and
converted using Micro Technology Unlimited’s DS16 ADA
converter.

The title describes the volatile, unpredictable, and highly charged
character of much of the piece, which is built on horizontal and
vertical layerings of small ideas that interact and interlock to form
a whole which is, I hope, greater than the sum of its parts.

In Bocca al Lupo

IN BOCCA AL LUPO was composed during a year’s fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, and is a companion piece to SOGGIORNO, also for violin and tape. The title means, “Into the Mouth of the Wolf”, and is an Italian saying that is equivalent to our “Break a Leg”, which is said in an encouraging way to actors and performers who are heading onto the stage. Indeed, the beginning of the piece bursts into life, much as an excited performer would take the stage, and the extensive use of tremolo recalls the combination of nerves and bravado that all of us face in performance situations.

The tape sounds consist entirely of violin samples recorded and stored on computer, then manipulated, edited, and mixed using Csound software. The resulting combination of live violinist and taped violin sounds takes on the character of a concerto for performer and him/herself, with a natural timbral unity between parts.

This recording is a live performance in Austin, Texas by Jennifer Bourianoff-Luke in 1995.

Composer contact: mobberleyj@umkc.edu

Website (scores, recordings and info): http://jamesmobberleymusic.com

Soggiorno

Written for violinists Tiberius Klausner and Sylvian Iticovici. Concert recording by David Abel.

Supported in part by a grant from the Missouri Arts Council.

Composer contact: mobberleyj@umkc.edu

Website (scores, recordings and info): http://jamesmobberleymusic.com

Critical Mass

Critical Mass is defined as “the smallest amount of fissionable material sufficient to sustain a chain reaction.” It seemed an appropriate title for this brief but energetic piece. The pre-recorded sounds on the CD were derived partly from organ sounds recorded by Karel Paukert at the Cleveland Museum of Art in January 1989, and partly from the digital synthesis facilities at the University of Missouri- Kansas City. Critical Mass is the sixth in a series of works for solo instrument and CD playback, and is dedicated to Karel Paukert. It was commissioned by Mr. Frank Griesinger for the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Aspenglow

Aspenglow (fixed media): The ASPEN system (Automated SPeech Exchange Network) was the first electronic telephone answering machine system at my university. With 80 faculty and staff answering messages, the possibilities for mischief were endless. Composer contact: mobberleyj@umkc.edu Website (scores, recordings and info): http://jamesmobberleymusic.com

Dialogue

Written for my perennial partner in tomfoolery, trombonist and unfathomably funny fellow, John Leisenring.

PROGRAM NOTE: This work attempts to define, by example, the inherent discontinuity that exists between silicon- and carbon-based life forms. If desired, the audience can, at the end of the performance, determine which is superior. Or not. Whatever.

NOTE: This work uses both live processing and fixed media.

Composer contact: mobberleyj@umkc.edu

Website (scores, recordings and info): http://jamesmobberleymusic.com

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