COLLOQUIUM MUZIEKWETENSCHAP
Maarten Beirens
24 januari 2013, 15:30-17:00
Universiteitstheater, Nieuwe Doelenstraat 16, zaal 3.01
Abstract:
In my examination of some of Reich’s
sample-based compositions, I will focus on some interesting complexities both on
the narrative and on the structural levels. These include the tension between on
the one hand the ‘documentary’ sense of objectivity in incorporating the voices
of different speakers, each with his own background and opinions, and on the
other hand the authorial ‘voice’ of the composer. Secondly, the manipulation of
samples either by appropriating the material while taking it out of its
original context, or by literally modifying and electronically altering the
samples. Finally, these compositions display a remarkable approach to musical
structure, as the literal meaning of the texts and their melodic and harmonic
material both become factors in determining the musical structure.
