eyes like a flame of fire
for soprano
recorder and computer
2009
Stefan
Klaverdal
Computer
programming can be sent via e-mail
Then I turned to see the voice
that spoke with me.
And having turned I saw seven
golden lampstands,
and in the midst of the seven
lampstands One like the Son of
Man,
clothed with a
garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
His head and hair were white
like wool, as white as snow,
and His eyes like a flame of
fire;
Book of
Revelation 1:12-14, New King James Version
About the
piece
In this piece
I sought to combine music about fire with a hymn originally composed on baptismal
lyrics. The hymn is loosely connected to the last part of the piece, and is
also reflected as a kind of cantus firmus within the "fire-music".
The theme of
baptism is naturally also connected to the title, since fire is a common simile
for the Holy Spirit.
The piece also
relates to the quote from the Book of Revelation, and the use of the words to
describe the Son of Man. In this particular setting we are introduced to the
revelation of John as it came to him. The music is therefore a sort of image of
that revelation, the sense of seeing the terrible but beautiful, it is a sort
of rapture or an expanding ecstasy.
The piece was
composed to Annie Lönngren in Malmö 2009
First
performed in Malmö, may 7th 2009 by Annie Lönngren (recorder) and Stefan Klaverdal
(computer).
Duration:
approx. 5 min
Technical
information:
This piece can
be played with a computer and a preprogrammed Max/MSP-patch or with the
electronics on a tape (i.e. any pre-recorded media such as CD, a file on a
computer etc).
If performed
with a computer one need
a computer
(the patch is tested on Apple)
Max/MSP
Runtime environment (included in the patch)
the patch
a soundcard
with one in and two out
a microphone
connected to the soundcard
a PA system with
2 channels (and possibly a monitor for the musician)
a midi pedal
The patch is
preprogrammed to let the player perform by him or herself. The changes can be
triggered from the computer also, of course.
The numbers in
circles in the score indicates when to press the pedal (or the spacebar)
If performed
with tape (or pre-recorded media) one need
a CD with the
music
a microphone
connected to a mixer
a reverb for
the recorder only
a PA system
with 2 channels (and possibly a monitor for the musician)
If performed
you need to turn on the reverb only at the very end, i.e. at bar 84. The reverb
should be set for very long reverberation and preferably also a slight delay.