On the harmony of air

for clarinet and electronics

This piece explores the frequency content of aeolic sounds of the clarinet. The material explored consists of a Dorian mode starting from D, ascending sweeps without the mouthpiece, and timbral trills. The electronics (fixed media) take each of these materials and transform them with the objective of making the pitch content embedded in the Aeolic sounds more audible. The goal of the piece is, as the title of the piece suggests, to make audible and explore different harmonies and partials of air sounds produced by the clarinet and that are not immediately perceivable. The electronics are based on filtering, time stretching, pitch shifting and granulation of the clarinet’s material.

Performers: Shawn Earle, clarinet; Christopher Luna-Mega, live electronics