for flute, bass clarinet, harp, marimba and electroacoustic sound
Composer: Christopher Hopkins
Program Note
The Mirror of Enigma (2004/2008) interprets antiphonal form in relation to the programmatic idea of an enigmatic mirror—a mirror that reveals a coexistent space in which behaviors and meanings appear in mysterious relations. There are three movements. The first, “Videmus nunc per Speculum in Aenigmate” — we see now through a mirror in an enigma, presents an initial confrontation with the enigmatic mirror. In the second movement, Images Fugitives, reflections take flight within the mirror, then in the concluding movement, Transfiguration and Ecstasy, the reflections are mysteriously transfigured and attain a state of ecstasy. The electroacoustic sounds are created from recombining transformed spectra of harp tones, as well as from samples of the instruments played in the acoustic ensemble.
Technical
There is a quadraphonic version, which is preferred.
The choice of software to perform the audio cues is up to the performer. Playback of the audio files must allow overlap, where one audio file can begin as the previous finishes. No more than two layers are required. There is a simple Max patch supplied for performance and rehearsal. An additional patch is supplied for an individual alone to practice in stereo with selection of a MIDI controller input to advance cues. These patches have been tested for Max 5 or later.