MARK ANDRE (b.1964): Durch for Saxophone, Percussion and Piano, ...zu... for String Trio, ...in for Bass Clarinet, ...als... II for Bass Clarinet, Cello and Piano with Live Electronics.

Description: Blending elements of Grisey's microscopic examination of the fundamental elements of sound and Lachenmann's all-inclusive 'musique concrète instrumentale', Andre writes music in which a constant sense of quest and exploration is paramount. This is reflected in his ambiguous titles, single words, conjunctions, suggesting a state of transition, adopting symbolic significance only when their intended origin - typically passages from the Book of Revelation - is known. Resonance and the dying processes of sounds are important; in "…in" an unplayed piano is used as a resonant extension of the bass clarinet; in Durch the piano strings, played with objects, their sounds blending into those of the percussion, also subject to unorthodox playing techniques, ends an aura to the more direct sound of the saxophone. Breathing, gasping sounds - either vocalized or in the case of the string trio, scraping on the strings - all precisely notated and calibrated, Lachenmann-style - introduce a human element. The use of live electronics in "…als…II" is a logical extension of the composer's sound-world. Trio Accanto, Ensemble Recherche, Shizuyo Oka (bass clarinet).