Lois V Vierk
for 8 cellos
"Simoom" is an Arabic word and refers to a hot, dry, violent wind. The piece uses high energy musical materials. It unfolds slowly and is very directional. It develops from relatively simple sound shapes and sound relationships, through continuously transforming textural structures to a climactic conclusion.
During the 1980's I often worked with ensembles of like-instruments. Like- instruments create a kind of transparency which allows instrumental lines and a wide spectrum of timbral nuance to be easily heard. Two or more instruments act together to form one voice or "sound shape". Sound shapes interact then with each other, forming textures which can be described as a counterpoint of counterpoints.
I think of these works as creating one huge instrument from the sound of the entire ensemble together--in this case a giant cello made up of 8 parts.
The textures, and the musical materials and phrases comprising the, are ever developing according to principles of what I call "Exponential Structure". Rates of change of the materials are constantly increasing by an exponential factor throughout this work.
Recording is by Ted Mook, cello, from CD:
XI Records, XI 102 "Lois V Vierk: Simoom"
Click here to view the CD on XI Records.