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on the attraction of felicitous amplitude (Paula Matthusen)

from Spontaneous Symbols (ICR008) by Brooklyn Rider

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about

Part of my attraction to cities, in particular older ones, is the element of accumulation that occurs as infrastructure is expanded, or abandoned and forgotten. This curiosity has been continuously excited during my fellowship at the American Academy in Rome (2014-2015). One particular structure caught my attention is a large cistern, likely Roman and from the second century (A.D.), that lies beneath the Villa Aurelia, where numerous concerts are staged each year, at the American Academy in Rome. The site spent a period of time forgotten, and was rediscovered in the 1950s as a result of incidents between the head gardener and neighborhood children who were enticed by orange trees on the premises.

Having visited the site frequently, I was able to listen in on how the sonic activity of this relatively isolated and remote space fluctuates in response to
aboveground weather patterns. I was especially intrigued by its soniferous qualities, and wrote on the attraction for felicitous amplitude knowing it would be premiered in the luxurious Sala Aurelia that lies just above it.

The musical content was derived from field recordings in the space, as well explorations of the resonant frequencies of each of the chambers. Though interlinked, each space yielded strikingly different sounds in response to the amount excavation in each chamber and the amount of water and ambient noise that sifted through its walls. Of particular interest to me was how a small sonic event – a water drop falling from the ceiling – can articulate a much greater space. This smallness is embraced in the string quartet, as raw field recordings are transduced through the instruments themselves.

The title of on the attraction for felicitous amplitude is derived from Gaston’s Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space (1958), in which he contemplates relationships between the vast and the intimate. Many thanks to the American Academy in Rome, in particular Kim Bowes, Pina Pasquantonio, and the staff at Villa Aurelia for making the cistern available to me for multiple visits, as well as Nathan Dennis and Adam Kuby.

- Paula Matthusen

credits

from Spontaneous Symbols (ICR008), released October 20, 2017
Composed by Paula Matthusen

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Brooklyn Rider New York

Hailed as “the future of chamber music” (Strings), the veteran string quartet Brooklyn Rider presents eclectic repertoire and gripping performances that continue to draw rave reviews from classical, world, and rock critics alike. NPR credits Brooklyn Rider with “recreating the 300-year-old form of string quartet as a vital and creative 21st-century ensemble.” ... more

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