“…wash yourself of yourself”

(SCORE AND ELECTRONICS AVAILABLE BY REQUEST – [email protected])

stereo and multi-channel versions available

Program Note

“…wash yourself of yourself” incorporates two electronics techniques that I developed in 2008 and 2009. One technique uses real-time spectral analysis to create timbres by both subtractive and additive synthesis. These timbres imitate the original sounds as well as the combination tones our brains create when hearing these sounds. The other technique uses real-time spectral analyses to create statistically transforming clouds of microtonal samples. In the case of my recent piano works, the samples used to create these clouds are also piano sounds. Both of these techniques aim to provide the listener with novel methods to explore his or her own listening.

“…wash yourself of yourself” is the second modular part to my other recent work for piano and electronics “Be melting snow…” While the latter work explores strictly notated algorithms, “…wash yourself of yourself” presents the same techniques in an open and structured improvisational manner. The combined quote “Be melting snow, wash yourself of yourself” comes from a poem by Rumi. Both these works along with a third work for piano and electronics – “…approaching a prayer” – comprise a trilogy of works that explore similar electronic techniques and contemplative interests.

Pianist Xenia Pestova and composer Jacob David Sudol premiered “…wash yourself of yourself” in the Experimental Music Theatre at the University of California, San Diego in November 2009. The entire collection of works was written for and is dedicated to Taiwanese pianist and composer Chen-Hui Jen.

-Jacob David Sudol
January 8 and 9, 2010
La Jolla, CA and New York City, NY