Resonators
Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri
Text: John Godfrey
It might seem at this point that the results of all the above are very predictable and — in a general sense — the sound that will be produced is indeed foreseeable. The instruments, however, have character. They do not behave in orderly ways; sometimes they are generous and resonant and at other times they can seem sullen and uncooperative. Placing a pin just here worked brilliantly yesterday but produces almost nothing today. The instruments are put together from a kit every time we play the piece, and each time they behave differently. As we prepare for a performance, each player develops a relationship with their personal Resonator with its temporary characteristics and explores the sounds it can offer them right now.
This coaxing of the sound out of the instrument is a quintessential aspect of Marianthi’s practice and an essential part of the way QME views its relationship with sound-making devices. There is a circular relationship between player and instrument that may be considered to be the core of the creative (or perhaps interpretive) process. In Resonators, we add an object, listen to the result; in response to the result, add another object; listen and so on. There is no specific (sonic) end goal in mind, only the process of adding, adjusting or subtracting and listening.
I like the idea that the ‘score’ for this piece comprises both the sonic device itself - the ‘Resonator’ - and the instructions for the sequence of actions we should undertake. The device both limits us to specific soundworlds and invites exploration of what is possible within them. Maybe it’s useful to think of the soundworlds as ‘fuzzy sets’, in the sense that there’s a core of sound-types that will reliably be created, but the ‘edges’ of the set contain unpredictabilities and surprises. In the notes for Operator, Marianthi suggests that the devices she created “function both as sound sources and as active preparations determining the speed, dynamics, and other musical parameters. This process encourages the performer to listen proactively and become aware of the possibilities latent between him or her and the instrument.”