Open Form. An Expanded Performer´s Role.

Else Olsen Storesund

Open form is a designation on a type of composition that is in some degree open. It is also a term in relation to understanding a genre. This means that I do not include for example Bach´s Die Kunst der Fuge (circa 1740), but Stockhausen´s Aus den sieben Tagen (1968) could be included. This project, however, is centered around the composers from The New York Scool, and composers related to The New York School: Christian Wolff, Pauline Oliveros, John Cage, Earle Brown, Morton Feldman and Cornelius Cardew. An Open form composition is graphic, text- or number-based. It may also be a combination of these three notational techniques and/or in combination with conventional staff line-notation.

Else Olsen S., Les (2005)

This is the final concert after finishing a continuing study in composistion at The Norwegian Academy of Music.

This composition and concert is included as a research fellow concert because of the relevance it brought into the project, and because it was finished during the research periode.
After a few years of arguing with the system whether I should be allowed or not to complete the studies with an Open form composition, I finally was approved as a candidate for exam in 2007. The composition Les was the first Open form composition to find its way to an exam at The Norwegian Academy of Music, in spite of a long tradition for the notational techniques used in the work.

Instrumentation:
Lisa Dillan, voice
Guro Moe, double bass
Sigyn Fossnes, violin
Else Olsen S., prepared piano, toy instruments

Marble orchestra, played by all performers

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