©1995 by Peter Swinnen

©1998 by Peter Swinnen

©1998 by Peter Swinnen

©2001 by Peter Swinnen

©2007 by Peter Swinnen

As is also the case with many of Ligeti's pieces, Mancoras, anagram of San Marco, is based on the fractal with the same name. Since fractals don't loose detail when you zoom in, they are most suitable for creating coherence between several independent layers, each evolving in its own time/tempo. In this piece, micro, meso and macro level are fully controlled by the same principle: z = z^2 - 1. What specially attracted me in this fractal, is its symmetry, which reminded me of the ancient Renaissance practice of Cori Spezzati, hence the symmetrical disposition of the instruments.

However, instead of creating a typical Baroque concertato effect, the use of micro polyphony à la Ligeti allowed me a much more fluent evolution of the sound, centred around the ostinato clock of the Mandolino. Around this 'cantus firmus' the other instruments weave clouds of sounds, whose harmonic contents are continuously coloured by a spectral morphing, controlled itself by, indeed, the San Marco fractal. The resulting piece is a humble In Memoriam for undoubtedly one of the greatest composers of his generation, György Ligeti.

Peter Swinnen Brussels 22-04-2007

©2006 by Peter Swinnen

©2011 by Peter Swinnen

Performed by Trio Milonga

©2009 by Peter Swinnen

©1996 by Peter Swinnen

“Quar’l” peut être considéré comme une “aquarelle”. En effet, dans l’esprit globale, cette pièce décrit un “Soundscape”, un paysage sonore assez bizarre, plein d’ événéments. Comme une peinture auditive de timbres... Mais, “Quar’l” est aussi “a quarrel”, une baguarre. L’ élément du début s’ énerve de plus en plus vers la cadence de la Clarinette Basse, pour se ré-établir après, comme si rien ne s’ était passé. Mais, on remarque qu’ en fait cette ré-exposition ne reprend pas le début de la pièce, mais plutôt les deux éléments dont celui-ci était dérivé. C’ est à dire, l’ étât avant la pièce... Comme si, en “zappant” , on est tombé au plein milieu d’un film, et, à la fin, on se pose la question “Mais qu’ est-ce que j’ ai raté au début ?”...

Joyeux écoute.