Works » By Title » C » Canto (17:05 / 1985)

"… in the gloom, the gold gathers the light about it."
— Ezra Pound

A setting/interpretation of Pound's 17th Canto. A paradisiacal vision followed by a descent towards the underworld, populated with historical figures and allusions. Sung and recited within an electroacoustic tape environment on a symphonic scale. The tape I made of vocal sound sources, some electronically altered. The major body of the piece is just tape speed manipulation and multitracking (up to 320 tracks) of a female voice. Unusual tunings and gradual phonetic changes help create new, complex and rich sounds through synthesis complexity: each individual layer of sound combining and interacting with the others to fuse into a sound of new internal structure and overall impression.