In the context of storytelling, in part due to my early childhood experience with radiophonic theater, which is how I got to know most of the fairytales, I view electronics or electronically generated sounds as either atmosphere builders (almost in the sense of game music/sound design) or as a tool for delivering text. The previous statement refers to both audio and video material, as it all serves the purpose of clarity in communication.
In my works, I gradually drifted from the electronic manipulation of live instruments towards viewing the electronic layer as a separate, distinctive instrument.
Thinking about the audio stories mentioned before, I remember the layers that were supposed to create tension in the background, or suggest happy strolling or running, as well as the sounds that represented a gun being fired, a dog barking or the steel-on-steel signal of a sword fight. Referring to the audio aspect, this is exactly how I integrate electronics into my compositions: either to underline the narrative events or to explicitly present the text in an actor's rendition. When it comes to video projections, this duplicity manifests in the use of visual elements to help develop the story, especially if the music is more abstract, and also in the representation of text, since all of my works are in the Romanian language. In regards to the former iteration, I should add that sometimes I do also project the text in the original language and not the English translation, in order to further accentuate the mysterious aspect, almost in a ritualistic understanding. An example of the use of visual projections to accomplish both roles can be observed in the background video that I created for "The Origami Bunker" concept performance. In this case, while the text displayed is in Romanian, the visual context is meant to underline the narrative.
Demonstration video 4:
Reflections on electronics and the possibility of achieving the same results through acoustic means
After a multitude of experiments with notation systems which I will present in more detail in Demonstration Video 5 below, I settled on a combination between traditional classical notation, graphic signs and written instructions, which in my case produce the best results.
In this way, I can have a clear, concise structure with completely written out parts for all instruments, while leaving space for exploration through improvisation, which I guide through descriptive passages, key words, symbols or brief musical instructions (tonal gravity, harmonic progression, rhythmic patterns, etc). I always include a summary of the story as well as other relevant inspiration material on the first page of the score, accompanied by an overview of the atmosphere and soundscape that I am hoping to achieve.
Thus far, I have had the time to explain my vision to my fellow musicians in the rehearsal room and there were many additional spontaneous notes that I chose not to include in the "original" score so that every performance of the piece with new musicians can generate a different and exciting interpretation.
