- Program Notes
- Michelangelo's Empire Turbine (2020) for ratchet. Duration 5’ minutes.
Empire Turbine was composed in the spring of 2020 for a modified amplified ratchet. The modifications include the integration of a bow stick to enhance the instrument’s gestural agility and sonic control. The inspiration for this composition traces back to the summer of 2019, during a visit to an old airport hangar in Querétaro, Mexico. Within the vast space of the hangar, I encountered a captivating symphony of sounds: rattles, squeaks, shakes, bangs, whizzes, and gliding tones, all intricately layered. The primary sources of these sounds were the two enormous gates and, most strikingly, the four wind-driven turbine ventilators spinning on the ceiling. The reverberant acoustics of the hangar amplified and enriched these textures, creating an unforgettable auditory experience. In the studio, I sought to recreate and reimagine this intricate soundscape. The ratchet, with some adjustments, became the perfect instrument to capture this sonic palette. I performed, recorded and explored the ratchet in unusual ways, resynthesizing and transforming the sound models from my original experience while crafting a sonic journey infused with both musical and extra-musical associations. The title Empire Turbine evolved organically during the creative process. It was inspired by the brand name “Empire,” a company that manufactures turbine ventilators. Additionally, a pivotal moment in the piece features the performer using their index fingertip to manipulate the ratchet’s wheel, evoking a visual and conceptual connection to Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam— specifically, the iconic touch of Adam’s hand. This piece stands as an exploration of transformation, memory, and the fusion of mechanical and organic sounds into a unified sonic experience.
- Recording Notes
- Studio edited mix © Panayiotis Kokoras
- Performer Credits
- Ensemble Holophony Project
- Publisher
- Panayiotis Kokoras