Alter Ego was written for my friend and colleague Carter Enyeart, who provided not only the idea behind the piece and its reason for being, but also the recorded sound material for the fixed media. Alter Ego combines a live instrumental performer with playback of organized and sculpted sounds taken from that same instrument. Hence the sound world of the performance remains that of the acoustic instrument, but the resulting piece enlarges that sound world with all the techniques that the digital medium provides.

The combination of live performance with fixed playback provides the opportunity to explore the changing relationships between the two entities. The live performer is the focus, both visual and emotional, for the audience, while the sounds in the speakers serve as invisible accompanist. As with a human accompanist, there are opportunities for leading as well as supporting roles as the piece progresses. After an opening instrumental solo, the CD playback begins to “learn” what the ‘cellist is doing. Its contribution begins as subtle environmental ambience, then moves through harmonic/rhythmic accompaniment to real counterpoint and eventually independence. At this point the roles reverse (the alter ego comes to the fore), as the CD provides a short solo, then begins a different type of music which the live performer begins to “learn.” The finale features the most complete integration of the two elements and the most tightly knit music of the piece. By this point the roles are as equal and cooperative as possible.

One other important note…in January of 2006 one of my most important mentors, Roger Hannay, passed away. I learned an enormous amount about composition, and especially about being a composer, from Roger, whose own alter ego, if he would allow me to characterize it that way, was ‘Hrothgar’, a Danish king from the Beowulf legends. Alter Ego is an homage, both to the man and to his music, with fond appreciation for both.