Canadian electronic music at the Mimara Museum

The Canadian electronic music scene was introduced to the Croatian audience with an afternoon concert given yesterday at the Mimara Museum. Electronic music accompanied by classical instruments appeared to be a perfect combination as performed live by the Les Amis Ensemble and the programme curator, Dennis Patrick.

The Toronto-based composer and teacher, Dennis Patrick, directs the Electro-acoustic Music Studio and coordinates the annual University of Toronto New Music Festival. He composed music for several award-winning radio plays written by the Canadian authors Timothy Findley and Michael Ondaatje, including The English Patient, The Trials of Ezra Pound, In the Skin of a Lion, and Famous Last Words.

The concert opened with the quadraphonic electro-acoustic work, the moulds..., narrated by Nick Mancuso. The piece is a post 911 vignette about man and his relationship to society. It was followed by the composition Shõko no shõ - Fluctuations of the shõ which has as a structural element the eleven chords produced by the Japanese shõ; a reed mouth-organ instrument. The electro-acoustic accompaniment contains, in addition to a shõ-like sound, drums, flute, and a koto (a plucked stringed instrument) with live accordion accompaniment from Joseph Macerollo.

Philip McConnell’s Melodrama and Flight follows the concept of a work that juxtaposes the live, wilful cello of Rachel Mercer with an intransigent tape. Unable to resolve their differences, a frantic chase ensues with each voice following and baiting the other, which contributes to a dynamic and lively atmosphere.

Andrew Staniland’s Piano Preludes (Interludes) was performed by Marianna Humetska, while the main idea behind Karmela Tsepkolenko’s Duel-Duo #11 for cello and accordion (bayan) is a competition between two musicians and two musical instruments. Each musician claims to be the best, which finally results in a variety of emotions.

A collaboration between Michael Pepa and Dennis Patrick led to the composition Squamish, whose name is adapted from the Coast Salish word ‘Sko-mish’, which translates to ‘Strong Wind’ or ‘Birthplace of the Winds’. It refers to the constant wind from the Pacific Ocean.
The wind voice of the Great Spirit was played by violinist Lynn Kuo, creating a rainy atmosphere by means of bells.