Output details

Game of attrition for chamber orchestra

Game of Attrition is part of a series of works exploring Darwinian mechanisms of competition and organisation. Based on a close reading of The Origin of Species, the piece is structured via a series of competitive duos between instruments of the same tessitura. This is a musical evocation of the Darwinian idea of natural selection among similar species that compete within increasingly specialised environmental strata. As organisms that share the same environment or food source must compete vigorously for the same resources, in the piece instruments of similar tessitura must battle to be heard from within an intricate musical texture.

The musical ‘environment’ or background texture for these duos is one of activity, energy, and multiple layers, reflecting the rich textures of the natural world. Shifting from duple to triple meter, the texture changes from small cellular activity to larger gestures, including a excerpt from Sierra’s work for piano, Birds and Insects, Book 1. This is an expression of the larger-scale, more confident and commanding nature of the duos, which move from string and woodwind solo instruments to principal players in the brass.

After the final, loudest duo between soloists, the last section of the work has the body of the strings pitted against that of the brass. Although the brass will obviously be louder, the strings have more endurance as they do not rely on breathing for sound production, thus they 'win' the final game of attrition. It is clear that in the scenario of the piece, the strings are better adapted, better evolved, to outlast the louder, more aggressive brass.