E-bo
For chinese cymbal, objects and electronics, 2024
Composition / Performing
An exploration of this instrument’s sonic limits
(Duration: 21’ · In three movements)
E-bo is a piece for Chinese cymbal, objects and electronics that falls within the tradition of solo works with pre-recorded electronic tape, common in contemporary music since the second half of the 20th century, going an step further.
The piece is rooted in a minimalist approach: extracting the maximum sonic potential from a minimal set of elements. E-bo delves into the full range of timbral possibilities of a single percussion instrument: the Chinese cymbal. In China, “bo”is the generic name for the family of cymbals handcrafted according to ancestral tradition. The title of the piece plays with that name, adding the prefix “E” in reference to the electronic world.
The sonic research behind the work draws a parallel between the richness of overtones in the Chinese cymbal and the way synthesizers shape sound through harmonic control. From that concept, the piece combines acoustic and electronic resources to expand the instrument’s timbral palette, turning it into a complex and dynamic sonic universe.
The work reflects the meeting point between the acoustic and the electronic, blurring their boundaries to the point of making the acoustic sound electronic and vice versa.
E-bo is structured in three movements, following the classic fast–slow–fast format. The total duration is approximately 21 minutes.
This piece continues my ongoing creative line of using limited resources as a source of inspiration. Composing a work of this length using only a non-pitched instrument represents a further step in that direction. Part of the work developed during the Ganta 7 residency focused on extended techniques for the cymbal — using mallets, bows, brushes, motors, non-musical objects — as well as sound capture, amplification and electronic transformation.
Commissioned by the Ganta 7 cross-border residency between Catalonia and Occitania, organised by:
- La Marfà de Girona
- Ameba Girona
- La Casa Musicale de Perpignan
- Ensemble Flashback
Premiered on 21 November 2024 at Salle El Mediator in Perpignan (France) as part of the Aujourd’hui Musiquesfestival, and on 12 December 2024 at La Marfà in Girona within the Generador de Tardor cycle.
An exploration of this instrument’s sonic limits
(Duration: 21’ · In three movements)
E-bo is a piece for Chinese cymbal, objects and electronics that falls within the tradition of solo works with pre-recorded electronic tape, common in contemporary music since the second half of the 20th century, going an step further.
The piece is rooted in a minimalist approach: extracting the maximum sonic potential from a minimal set of elements. E-bo delves into the full range of timbral possibilities of a single percussion instrument: the Chinese cymbal. In China, “bo”is the generic name for the family of cymbals handcrafted according to ancestral tradition. The title of the piece plays with that name, adding the prefix “E” in reference to the electronic world.
The sonic research behind the work draws a parallel between the richness of overtones in the Chinese cymbal and the way synthesizers shape sound through harmonic control. From that concept, the piece combines acoustic and electronic resources to expand the instrument’s timbral palette, turning it into a complex and dynamic sonic universe.
The work reflects the meeting point between the acoustic and the electronic, blurring their boundaries to the point of making the acoustic sound electronic and vice versa.
E-bo is structured in three movements, following the classic fast–slow–fast format. The total duration is approximately 21 minutes.
This piece continues my ongoing creative line of using limited resources as a source of inspiration. Composing a work of this length using only a non-pitched instrument represents a further step in that direction. Part of the work developed during the Ganta 7 residency focused on extended techniques for the cymbal — using mallets, bows, brushes, motors, non-musical objects — as well as sound capture, amplification and electronic transformation.
Commissioned by the Ganta 7 cross-border residency between Catalonia and Occitania, organised by:
- La Marfà de Girona
- Ameba Girona
- La Casa Musicale de Perpignan
- Ensemble Flashback
Premiered on 21 November 2024 at Salle El Mediator in Perpignan (France) as part of the Aujourd’hui Musiquesfestival, and on 12 December 2024 at La Marfà in Girona within the Generador de Tardor cycle.
