Louis Karchin

Viola and Electronics

Composer's Note:

Excursions sends its initial musical kernels down continually changing paths, and it also represents an "excursion' for the composer. It's a foray, after a hiatus of many years, into the realm of electronic music. When I experimented with electronic sounds in the 1960's, the medium required large rooms and bulky oscillators banks; now it requires basically a laptop. Learning the new technology was part of the experience of creating the piece, but also embedded in the work's conception was a desire to "grow" the material from something inherently electronic. So a simple viola melody was put through a series of spectral analyses and the results were used to shape both the electronic sounds and the acoustic viola gestures. On the surface, however, the beautiful singing tone of the viola was never far from my mind. Before and after each of the four sections for viola and electronics together, there are passages for solo viola that allow for greater freedom and flexibility. Excursions is written for and dedicated to my long-time friend and colleague, Lois Martin