Harangue II (review)

Harangue II is an appropriate title for earsay productions' 1998 collection of electroacoustic compositions. By definition, a "harangue" is a popular oration, addressed to a large pubic assembly. According to ancient Scottish records, this was a common practice among villagers for settling social or political matters. Following the oration, those present would "throw back their responses." Harangue II is thus a collection of six international composers' "harangues." Listeners are invited to contribute their responses online (www.earsay.com). Works on this compact disc range in duration anywhere from 6:01 to 14:03.

STRINGendo (1997), by German composer Rainer Bürck, is the opening track of Harangue II. Some composers feel that solo compositions for melody instruments have a limited ability to create complex musical textures. One solution to this deficiency is to combine electronics with a single instrument, such as Karlheinz Stockhausen did in his composition, Solo. Mr. Bürck based STRINGendo on a similar idea, producing an interactive composition for violin and computer. The player's performance is transformed into MIDI data and then processed by a computer program created by the composer. This produces a lively piece of music, full of intricate sonic textures. Mr. Bürck's use of sound placement in STRINGendo creates a playful aural experience especially when heard through headphones. This work was selected to be performed at the 1997 Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) National Conference in Kansas City.

Another work in this collection that features a solo instrument and electronics is Canadian composer John Oliver's scintilla (1998) for MIDI guitar and electronics. Many listeners may already be familiar with Mr. Oliver's music as he gained international attention in 1988–1989, winning six prizes for five compositions—chamber, orchestral, and electroacoustic—in the 1988 Luigi Russolo Competition in Italy and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's 8th National Competition for Young Composers. In 1997, Mr. Oliver formed earsay productions with composer/pianist Andrew Czink and designer Tanya Petreman. His composition scintilla is an appropriately titled excerpt. The definition of "scintilla" is a spark, a hint, or a trace, in this case of a larger composition for MIDI guitar and electronics. scintilla is created on fragments of sounds that develop into rich textures and interplay with one another as if in conversation. This work definitely sparks one's imagination and opens up aural possibilities for future sound explorations.

Canadian composer Andrew Czink's Devour (1998) is an interesting title for an equally fascinating composition. By definition, "devour" is to take in greedily, destroy completely, enjoy avidly. Mr. Czink has set up a continual progression where new sounds are being devoured or morphed into other sounds, thus creating a balance of tension and release throughout this composition. Devour begins with a dynamic and explosive opening followed by a subdued sustaining material similar to the calm after the storm. Despite the destructive nature of this composition the overall effect of the ever-changing sound world is a peaceful one due to the extremely gradual process.

Another Canadian composition featured on Harangue II is Hildegard Westerkamp's Gently Penetrating Beneath the Sounding Surface of Another Place (1997). This is an acoustical sound journey of New Delhi which was commissioned by and realized in the studios of the Institut International de Musique Electroacoustique, Bourges, France. Gently Penetrating received an honorary mention in the Prix Ars Electronica Competition in Linz Austria, 1998. Ms. Westerkamp wanted to musically express both the "shimmering beauty and the grungy dirt and pollution" (liner notes for Harangue II) present in New Delhi's culture and everyday life. In order to accomplish this, the composer chose to feature the voices of street vendors, a sound that is quickly fading from North American culture. Ms. Westerkamp transforms the voices of the vendors to create a rich texture full of excitement, wonder, and awe. At times, the voices presented in Gently Penetrating...