Six Corners performance

Jeff & Virgil
Originally uploaded by .Kerri..

As many times as I have seen/heard this piece, Six Corners, this was the first time I have seen it as it was intended: projected large with discrete action in 3 panels--and large it was. Coupled with the multichannel surround sound, I was swallowed whole.

A chap who told me he used to install colossal pipe organs in the 1970's remarked that it was nice to see composers thinking of sound enveloping an audience as he had done in his line of work.

This was one of those wonderful programs of electronic pieces played in an auditorium intended for chamber music. Instead of humans with bows taking bows, the room is darkened and the acoustical clouds quiver with synthetic sound.

Many people see the problem with electronic music performance as there being little or no actual "performance." And I'll admit, I've been to plenty of shows where the performer could have been checking his email for all I knew. But Jeff has long contended that there is performative tension even in that electronic performace which appears to have little or no live component--it's in the potential for failure.