For large ensemble
2Fl(Bfl), Ob(Eh), 2Bcl(2Cl, 2Cbcl), Bn(Cbn), Tpt, Hn, Tbn, 3Perc, Pf, Hp, 3Vl, 2Vla, 2Vc, Cb
2015
25'
Commissioned by Ensemble InterContemporain
Ensemble InterContemporain – cond. Ilan Volkov
Premiere 02/09/2016
Talea Ensemble – cond. James Baker
U.S. Premiere. Louis Karchin, music director/Orchestra of the League of Composers
June 1, 2016, New York City
The title Fringes, serves as a guiding principle in several essential aspects of the piece. One significant element is spatialization; the composition is scored for 22 instruments, with 13 performers on stage and 3 groups of 3 instruments strategically positioned in the concert hall. By placing the audience in the center, the music seamlessly traverses the fringes or edges of the performance space, utilizing the spatial capabilities of the Philharmonie de Paris 2 to the fullest. This aspect is, in essence, a celebration of the venue's unique spatial potential and legacy.
Moreover, Fringes delves into the borders between pitched sound and noise, as well as the interplay between timbre and harmony, and timbre and polyphony. The piece artfully explores the frontier between written and oral music traditions, bridging the gap and creating a harmonious synthesis of these diverse elements. Additionally, the composition ventures into the fringes of traditional composition and electroacoustic techniques, employing them as catalysts for both large-scale and localized structures.
Above all, "Fringes" holds a deeply personal dedication, commemorating the birth of the composer's first child, Pietra Rose, and honoring his wife Niki.
— Felipe Lara
