House of Mazes

Research output: Non-textual formComposition

Abstract

Composition scored for flute (doubling bass and alto flutes), mezzo soprano voice, cello.
Programme note:
‘This is what happens when you hurry through a maze; the faster you go, the worse you are entangled.’ (Seneca the younger, trans. Danielewski, House of Leaves, 2000, p.115)
The work comprises interconnected mazes and convoluted solo passageways. Players must negotiate idiosyncratic notation, and navigate pathways according to changing rules and algorithms. Each maze demands a different mode of performer interaction:
Maze 1: A game; an attempt to deceive; a race with forfeits.
Maze 2: Alienated, the flute player must locate the cellist, and follow her, in a maze of three dimensions.
Maze 3: Uncharted territories are explored via illogical maps, portals, and braid passages that trigger new expeditions. Maze 4: A labyrinth with a single path?
Texts are in Latin and French, often fragmented, and from a variety of sources (including Baudelaire, Ovid, and Seneca the younger), forming a commentary on the nature of mazes, and the psychological effect of finding oneself lost.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherNina Whiteman
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2017

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