confluence/divergence
For guitar and chamber ensemble
2013 - 2015
Duration
27 min
Instrumentation
guit solo, fl, perc, hp, vlc
Premiered by
Uusinta Ensemble and Petri Kumela (guitar)
7.7.2017
Time of Music Festival
Viitasaari, Finland
Notes
The composing process of confluence/divergence took two years, largely due to the intricate theoretical principals I developed while composing the piece. I worked with complex combinations of sound entities and instrumental techniques that demanded further studying and exploring of refined ways of notation.
The title of the piece refers to the changing relationship between the soloist and the chamber ensemble. This dual relationship that is also fundamental to the classical concerto form, is the focal point of the piece.
Dramaturgical tension, instrumentation, textural surfaces, gestures and sound colours are based primarily on the developments (divergence and confluence) of this duality.
The piece is in three movements, the first being a miniature of the overall form of the piece. Each movement has its own character, the first being hectic and virtuosic, the second tranquil and mysterious, and the third playful, rhythmic and jerky.
“confluence/divergence sweeps the listener straight into a breath-taking flow of imaginative sounds.“
– FMQ
Listen
confluence/divegrence (2013-2015) performed by Insomnio Ensemble and Petri Kumela (guitar)
8.9.2018 Gaudeamus Muziekweek Hertz – TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands
Reviews
“confluence/divergence is a breathtaking play on sounds, in which the familiar roles of the instruments swing out of place. The playful and delirious surfaces permeate each other, with Petri Kumela’s wild guitar acting as a mediator..“
RONDO, 13.11.2020
“The instruments imitate each other and become a deceptive multi-instrument that dissolves the border between the soloist and the ensemble; Petri Kumela and the other musicians do an outstanding work. The deep groans in the second of the three movements are quite extraordinary, whereas the playful third feels somewhat prolonged before the final culmination“
FMQ, 4.12.2020
“Two years of work resulted in highly ambitiously developed sound colors in confluence/divergence. I was especially fascinated by Hilli’s way of extracting new fascinating sounds with rubber clubs, credit cards and a whistling human voice inside the flute (Malla Vivolin).“
HBL, 22.8.2018
“confluence/divergence sweeps the listener straight into a breath-taking flow of imaginative sounds, produced through a variety of unconventional playing techniques. “
FMQ, 4.12.2020
“The most remarkable archievement in the piece was the inventive use of extended playing techniques. The instruments imitated each other in a chameleon-like manner so that it was at times difficult to distinguish between which instrument produced the sound.“
RONDO, 22.8.2018
“Dragging the super balls released voices from the surfaces of the guitar, harp (Päivi Severeide) and timpani (Naoki Yasuda) imitating the murmur of the cello (Pinja Laine) and the speech of the flute (Malla Vivolin). It was not a matter of effects, but skillfull assembling of colors.“
RONDO, 22.8.2018
Sheet Music
Schott Music
Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG
Weihergarten 5
55116 Mainz
info@schott-music.com
+49 6131 246-0
Past performances
8.9.2018
Insomnio Ensemble and Petri Kumela (guitar)
Gaudeamus Muziekweek
Utrecht, Netherlands
21.8.2018
Uusinta Ensemble and Petri Kumela (guitar)
Music Centre
Helsinki, Finland
7.7.3027
Uusinta Ensdemle and Petri Kumela (guitar)
Time of Music Festival
Viitasaari, Finland