Miniature for English Horn and Tape

by Sally Reid, composer, ASCAP (1984)

Program Notes:

The Miniature for Englilsh Horn and Tape (1984, resynthesized 1988) is one of six studies for soloist and digitally generated tape. (The others are for alto saxophone, trumpet in C, violin, piano and oboe.) In each the solo line appears against an electronic background derived from the melodic material of the solo combined with individual digital motives characteristic of the various electronic instruments. This miniature explores unusual register transfers and intervals for the English horn. The soloist responds to cues from the tape, placing the solo passages freely within the available sound spaces, often extending the gesture into the following tape expression. The result is a sort of sound sculpture, conceptually more present in space than in time.

The original realization of the work was done on the pre-MIDI, micro-computer based alphaSyntauri system, an eight-bit, multi-timbral system which utilized the sixteen digital oscillators of the Mountain Computer cards designed for use in Apple II microcomputers. The score was generated using a crude (by today's standards) first generation computer notation system which permitted graphic representation of taped events resembling traditional music notation, but in which passing time (rhythm) is represented spatially.

Audio:

• Miniature for English Horn and Tape
• Miniature for English Horn and Tape (tape only)

Selected Performance History:

• August, 1990 - Performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape during the International Double Reed Society Conference at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge by soloist John Bentley.
• February, 1988 - Performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape at Abilene Christian University.
• October, 1987 - Performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape at the Bowling Green State University New Music Festival by soloist John Bentley.
• February 22, 1986 - Performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape by the composer at the American Women Conductor/Composer Symposium at the University of Oregon in Portland, OR.
• November 21, 1985 - Performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape by Daniel B. Weber at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.
• April 24, 1985 - Performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape by Matthew Sullivan, North/South Consonance in New York City, New York premiére.
• March 1, 1985 - Performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape by Dan Willett during the Region VI conference of the American Society of University Composers (ASUC) at the University of Missouri at Columbia, MO.
• March, 1984 - Premiére performance of Miniature for English Horn and Tape on the Abilene Composers Concert.

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updated 12/9/99
Sally Reid, reid@acu.edu

Miniature for English Horn and Tape