Instrumentation: piano and live electronics
Duration: 11 minutes

World Premiere: March 22, 2012. Gloria Cheng. Berkeley, California

Score:
Preview/Purchase Score

Audio:

Studio recording by Dan VanHassel.

Program Note:
Camouflage is a work for piano with interactive live electronics. All of the electronics are built from sounds sampled in real-time from the piano. In the first section of the work, the computer responds to the sharp attacks of the piano with colorful rhythmic patterns built from the very sound that triggered the pattern. In this way the music has a regular pulsing rhythm, without resorting to continuous sequenced patterns. The electronics act as an extension of the instrument, creating a hybrid entity in which both elements are necessary for the music to make sense. As the piece progresses, the underlying harmonic progression gradually becomes more prominent, enhanced by sustaining electronics, creating blurry impressionistic washes of color. As the piano moves increasingly towards an ecstatic outburst of romanticism the electronics respond by becoming increasingly noisy and aggressive.