Free Flight (electronics)

Audio sample - Free Flight IIc (.mp3)

Audio sample - Free Flight IIcf+ (.mp3)

Program Notes:

A Roland D20 provided sound sources for Free Flight. Pitch material is controlled by a twelve-tone row used in Charlie's Blues (Version 1: piano, double bass, percussion. Version 2: alto saxophone or Yamaha WX-7 MIDI controller, piano, double bass, percussion). Pitches 11 and 12 of the prime set at 0 transposition are pitches 1 and 2 of P4. The same relation exists between P4 and P8 as well as P8 and P0. Therefore, a series of 30 elements may be stated before repetition. In addition, the last six pitches of P0 are a transposed retrograde of the first six pitches. These features and fixed registral control were used in both versions of Charlie's Blues and Free Flight. The 6th and 7th pitches of P0 are F and F#. All other pitches were arranged symmetrically around these two pitches and were the only pitches of a single timbre allowed to sound together. Timbres were used singularly to form each of six tracks. Two timbres are modified piano sounds and one is a modified organ sound. The timbres were brightened and initial/final decays of the envelopes were elongated. Three shorter sounds (glockenspiel, string pizzicato, harp) are altered timbrally by modifying the waveshape and tone color. Six tracks were recorded individually on four separate channels at different tempi. The final two-channel performance is a mixdown of the four-channel version.

If you are interested in acquiring a performance recording of this piece, please contact me by email (kindly include your phone number).

s-syverud@northwestern.edu

I will request a small handling fee to cover reproducing & shipping costs.