- Summary: Three Worlds According to One
- Diphthong l
- DarkDays
Musicians:
Hilmar Jensson: Jazz guitar in DarkDays
Kjartan Ólafsson: Computer keyboards in Summary, Diphthong l and DarkDays
Matthías Hemstock: Percussion in DarkDays
Pétur Jónasson: Classical guitar in Diphthong l and DarkDays
Producer: Kjartan Ólafsson
Summary: Three Worlds According to One
Summary was composed in the computer music studio of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki in July 1994. The building material of the piece came from several of my
compositions from 1986-94. Short segments, 1-2 seconds each, were taken from these pieces and transformed in various ways via tools and equipment before they were put together again in a single composition.
The compositions that provide the building material are diverse and were constructed in various different ways, e.g. via the composition program CALMUS and with various electronic and computer equipment. Among the pieces are works for orchestra, a string quartet, solo works for flute, guitar and electronic instruments, electroacoustic works, songs, piano pieces and a clarinet trio.
The MorningPaper
Myrkir musikdagar: Multimedia, The City Theatre
“Summary: Three Worlds According to One” (premiere) was the sole piece of the evening without any visual effects. The work was composed of bits and pieces from Kjartan’s earlier orchestral and chamber works, transformed via CALMUS, Kjartan’s composition program, and various tools and techniques at the composers’ disposal last year at the electronic studios of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
To begin with the piece sounded aggressive and frightful, even uncomfortable;when giant metal blocks appeared to crumble over the listener: Kjartan’s sonic world was diverse however, and the piece faded away with a cosmic mermaid song that came intensely close to being appealing.
Rikar›ur Örn Palsson: Morgunbladid, February 28th, 1995
Painting: Anna S. Björnsdóttir
Tvihljód l (Diphthong l)
for solo guitar and computer orchestra
Tvíhljó› l was composed for Pétur Jónasson 1993 and premiered by Pétur and myself that same year on Myrkir Músikdagar, the biannual music festival of the Icelandic Composers Union. During the summer of 1994, a recording of the piece was re-worked and mixed in the computer music studio of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
The work is composed of strict calculated music and improvisation of two musicians. The calculated part was composed via the composition program CALMUS; pitches and timing where determined according to the nature of the musical objects used. These musical objects are analogous to the instrument sections in a traditional symphony orchestra (strings, woodwinds, brass, etc.) and likewise have their distinct characteristics
Painting: Anna S. Björnsdóttir
Skammdegi (DarkDays)
for computer, jazz guitar, classical guitar and percussion
Skammdegi was composed 1996 and premiered at the National Theatre Art Club the same year. The work is composed for Hilmar Jensson, Pétur Jónasson, Matthías Hemstock and Kjartan Ólafsson. In the work, an attempt is made to fuse various compositional methods and musical styles, from jazz, contemporary music, rock, and pop music. The aim is not to produce a suite of some sort; rather to fuse into one various aspects of these different styles.
The compositional methods vary from material produced via CALMUS to free improvisation.
The piece was recorded at the above mentioned National Theatre Art Club concert, October 28th, 1996.
Painting: Anna S. Björnsdóttir
“‘This is no music, just cracks, roar and rumble’ was the mildest expression she had. The most interesting thing she said, however, was: ‘When I saw the psychotic look in Kjartan’s eyes, I knew some terror was about to occur.’”
An innocent female listener after the premiere of DarkDays The MorningPaper
“The electronic sounds and effects were quite startling, perhaps too startling, considering the duration of the piece; one made association to distant thunderstorms, guillotine, even take off or landings of space ships…. ….The overall effect of the piece was close to terrifying and would have qualified a horror film like “Alien”…. ….Yet, near the end, the sound material became softer and harmonically more familiar; minor and diminished harmonies in passing, that formed some coagulated fog-shrouded ambience, somewhat like unconcerned mermaid splashing near a fantastic dreamland seashore.”
Ríkar›ur Örn Palsson: Morgunbladid, October 30th, 1996.
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