related works
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Mixed choir
Scoring:
GK4
Midas' tomb : for voice, string quartet and tape, 1986-89 / Wim Laman
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Voice and instrument(s); Multimedia and singing voice(s) with or without instrument(s)
Scoring:
medium 2vl vla vc tape
Little John's morning after : (1970) / Dirk Dekker
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Voice and instrument(s); Multimedia and singing voice(s) with or without instrument(s)
Scoring:
sopr-m fl pf vc tape
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Voice and instrument(s); Multimedia and singing voice(s) with or without instrument(s)
Scoring:
voice rec-s cl-b trb perc el.g pf vl cb 2tape
composition
Urban songs : soprano, large ensemble, computers / Klas Torstensson
Other authors:
Torstensson, Klas
(Text writer/Librettist)
Torstensson, Klas
(Composer)
Description:
Program note (English): As a composer I feel attracted to writing series - or 'families' - of compositions, a method which enables me to concentrate, over a longer period of time, on a specific problem or on a specific definition of a problem. An example is my triptych Licks & Brains for saxophones and ensemble (1987-88). In the case of Urban songs, for soprano, large ensemble and computers, the 'family' is small; apart from this piece, the only other 'family member' is a composition for soprano solo, Urban solo (also written for Charlotte Riedijk). The traditional Libanese folksong Abu Zeluf - as sung by the Libanese singer Dunya Yunis - could perhaps also be considered as a part of this 'family'; Urban Solo as well as Urban Songs (first song) were partly inspired by this folksong. The song itself, however, is not quoted; similarities are rather to be found in certain kinds of ornamentation, and in the speech-sounds that are used (stripped of their semantic meaning!). Where the first part (song)
could - in spite of the title of the composition - in some ways be called 'rural', the second part (song) is definitely 'urban' in character. It not only refers to an urban style of music (no one can probably fail to notice which kind of music is meant), but also the 'montage'-like structure would be unthinkable without modern urban technologies such as the technique of sampling. - KLAS TORSTENSSON