Blue Traces (piano solo and electronics)
Blue Traces (piano solo and electronics)
piano and computer, with optional string orchestra
Kati Gleiser, the pianist for whom I wrote Blue Traces, told me about swimming in the ocean at night and marveling at the colorful glow cast from bioluminescent plankton. Moving your arm disturbs the plankton, and in response they set off a bluish trail of soft light. This image gave me the idea for the piece: the piano plays, and the computer creates gently glowing traces of sound. Near the end, everyone becomes more agitated, as if the swimmer were now splashing around and the plankton reacting with more excitement.
All the computer sound comes from live sampling of the piano performance, transformed by various kinds of granulation "” a technique that can take a short sound and extend it into a long sustained note.
Max patch available here: http://john-gibson.com/pieces/bluetraces.htm
or http://pages.iu.edu/~johgibso/pieces/bluetraces.htm
Authored (or revised): 2009
Duration (minutes): 13
First performance: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Faculty Recital
Book format: Printed score
SKU
ACA-GIBJ-002Couldn't load pickup availability
PDF Download Policy
Shipping and Returns
Purchasing digital PDFs from American Composers Edition grants you an exclusive license for your own use of the files, including performance, as well as permission to duplicate the score and files as required for that purpose. Any other use, including commercial recording, may require an additional license. PDF files are not refundable and are permanently licensed to the buyer.
Shipping
In the USA we usually use USPS Priority Mail or Media Mail or UPS Ground services.
We ship world-wide using US International Postal Mail - Priority, First Class International Mail, or UPS Global.
Return Policy
Orders received damaged will be replaced immediately at no additional charge. Refunds requested will be issued back to the original payment
method.