Cellist ARNE DEFORCE

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Première of a brand new work by the recipient of the 2010 Arne Nordheim prize, Norwegian composer Ruben Sverre Gjertsen PSI for cello and electronics in hommage to Iannis Xenakis' Nomos Alpha. Performances at Fondation Royaumont, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.


21/01/2012 Luxembourg Philharmonie Xenakis & Aperghis with Luciln (LU)
22/12/2011 Gent Vooruit Arne Deforce & Mika Vainio (B)
24/11/2011 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK)
28/09/2011 Fondation Boghossian Villa Empain Brussel (B)
25/09/2011 Time Canvas Muhka Antwerp (B)
11/09/2011 Betoverd Bos Maria Aalter (B)
10/09/2011 Fondation Royaumont (Fr)
30/08/2011 Ostrava New Music Days (Cz)

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PSI for cello solo

Psi for cello solo is a tribute to Nomos by Iannis Xenakis. Not by direct use of its materials, but by exploring a number of sound situations appearing during this piece, either rapidly passing by those raw, direct structures, or dwelling longer within them. Interesting ideas from the Xenakis piece are:

• The C-string is tuned 1 octave down, enabling double stops with a span of more than 7 octaves.
• Passages with prerecorded voices concluding Nomos with one voice playing within a whole tone scale, the other voice within a 3/4-tone scale. Xenakis made exceptions from the scales, which I also allow myself to do.
• Extreme glissando gestures.

• Interferences and microtonality.
• A variety of percussive sounds.
• Bow friction and timbre change.
Xenakis can for this piece inspire to both a multidimensional musical thinking, and a direct and physical use of the instrument.

Commissioned by Marc Texier and Fondation Royaumont for Arne Deforce.
Creation at Fondation Royaumont september 10th 2011