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La Voz del Fuelle

The fundamental goal in writing La Voz del Fuelle was to emulate the expression and theatricality I witnessed in performances of Tango music whilst undertaking a composer residency in Argentina. In particular I sought to recreate, through sound, the physicality of the bandoneón, an instrument at the forefront of many modern interpretations of Tango music. Recordings of this instrument are woven among other typical instruments of the style and extended and electronically manipulated sounds from bandoneón, piano, violin and cello combine to form a dynamic sonic landscape structured through dualities of tension and release, cultural reference and abstract sound, meter and free-time.

The work presents some unmistakeable musical quotations or ‘cultural sound-objects’ (Verandi in Blackburn 2010) from the Tango tradition. In doing so the piece raises significant questions regarding the location and negotiation of compositional identity, in particular whether the integrity of a composer’s voice is compromised when using potent cultural references. Although there is a strong sense of the bandoneón’s sociocultural identity, the composer’s own identity is articulated by applying a variety of techniques to conceal, reveal and reimagine the cultural traces and spaces of this object. A similar approach to intercultural electroacoustic composition can be located in works by Berezan, Blackburn, and Otondo.

A significant technique is the extended use of diatonic and pulse-driven material, an approach that marks a significant departure from the tendency in acousmatic composition to focus on exploration of texture and gesture (Alvarez 1989).

Commissioned by the Fundación Destellos, Argentina and composed during a residency at the Fundación Destellos Studios, supported by a British Council Composer’s Bursary. Premiered at KAPU, Austria in 2011, with eight other performances to date. Published on the compilation album Elektramusic CD volume 03 (Elektramusic, September 2011). Received an Honorary Mention in the Musica Nova International Electroacoustic Music Competition 2011.