Extensiones

Extensiones
Extensiones (2010) is a piece for soloist percussion, large orchestra and live electronics and it was especially composer for Gerardo Salazar and the Symphonic Orchestra of Chile. The musical material for this work is derived from the compositional procedure known as infinite row, proposed originally in 1959 by the Danish composer Per Nørgård. This material is presented in different ways as the piece progresses, in both acoustical and electronic form. In Extensiones, the role of digital technology is not a merely simple accompaniment for the symphonic material, as it interacts with it at different levels, directly modifying the sonic output produced by the orchestra. In contraposition with the more traditional format of orchestra plus tape, in this case the electronic material is live, in the sense that the computer reacts in real-time to the orchestra and the soloist and it becomes another performer on stage. The computer knows and follows the score as any performing musician would, allowing for the generation of instantaneous musical responses to what is happening on stage. Extensiones also explores, through technology, the soloist gestures, by the use of and iPad and iPod touch that the percussionist wears and performs along the piece. This information is used by the sound processing engine to generate and manipulate new musical material.
To the composer knowledge, this is the first orchestral piece ever to introduce the iPad and iPod as symphonic musical instruments.
The composition of Extensiones was made possible by a grant from the Fondo de Fomento de la Música Nacional and the Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes, Government of Chile.