Beauty

op. 67, 2017

For chamber ensemble
instrumentation: 1.1.1.1. – 1.1.1.0., vibraphone, piano, 1.1.1.1.1. or variable instrumentation from 8 musicians on
duration: 3 min. or longer

Commissioned by Ukho Ensemble, Kiev
World premiere: 18 February 2017, Kiew/Ukreaine. Ukho Ensemble, Conductor: Luigi Gaggero

Composer’s note

At the performance of Beauty, the conductor keeps the intensity at a very slow tempo and minimalist material, yet still stretches a long arc from beginning to end. Every bar should be like breathing, like a big exhale with a little accent at the beginning.

The piano and percussion repeat certain chord modules. All other instruments play consecutively a four-bar theme. After the theme has been played for the first time, each musician has the freedom to choose to repeat the theme or just parts of it. The musicians also decide on the length of the parts played and on the timing of their beginning and end. The piece can therefore vary in length, depending on whether the musicians improvise or not.