El umbral de una línea

The series of pieces entitled “El umbral de una línea”   explores, from divers angles, the internal energy -the emotion- involved in instrumental gestures, as a source of one line‘s “diffraction” to divers imaginary lines. They are especially focalised in the limits -perception thresholds- where the listening cannot easily be unitary (melodic) or multiple (virtual polyphony ). The form researched here is like the form of a mountain: we just perceive it in condition to accept our understanding of its limits…

“El umbral de una línea II” was written  for a trio of bass clarinet, bass drum and electronics. The polyphony shows there a double aspect: a real polyphony (between the two instruments and electronics, developing counterpoint relationships) and a virtual polyphony into each instrument, braiding at many formal levels.

It will become a virtual polyphony in “El umbral de una línea III”: the trio is here reduced to a duo (saxophone and electronics). Thus, the composition is radically focused on the ambiguous relationships between unicity and multiplicity, giving to listeners an opportunity to participate in construction of musical images of the piece.

Transcribing certain techniques specifically employed by bass clarinet in “El umbral de una línea II” to saxophone, gave me an opportunity to explore some particular instrumental gestures with some vocal characteristics, introducing a new and specific diversity of sounds.

This work has been made in closed collaboration with saxophonist Josetxo Silguero, to who it is dedicated.