Lux Aeterna
Percussion and electronics
Premiered by: Bartłomiej Sutt (percussion) and Kirsten Milenko (light)
6th March 2019;
Q Gallery, Copenhagen
Pulsar Festival 2019 & Nowa Muzyka Festival 2019
Fixed Electronic Track:
Triggered 2 to 5 seconds before beginning the live elements of the piece.
Stereo track designed for two sets of speakers diagonally matched in each corner of the performance space. Depending on their placement in a fixed or free audience space, the rate of sound and exact balance of track to live performance elements will differ slightly for each audience member.
Setup: Lux Aeterna premiere. Kirsten Milenko (left) and Bartłomiej Sutt (right); Q Gallery, Copenhagen.
Note:
A chorale-like setting of vibraphone performance emanating light from both within and around the instrument body.
'Lux Aeterna' is a multi-media work for live performance of percussion (vibraphone), fixed electronic tape and live-mixed lights. Once the pedal has been triggered, the audio will function as an extension of the vibraphone body's natural resonance to further connect a space between light and sound through durations and subtle beats between partials.
The fixed electronic track is entirely derived of sine waves cycling at regular and interlinking paces throughout the work. The sound file can either be played through stereo or quadrophonic setup (with L/R mirrored so that they occur at diagonals) depending on the space.
Composed for percussionist with electronics of light and sound, Lux Aeterna was first performed in an art gallery and has since been adapted for concert settings. It can either be performed by a solo percussionist, or as a duo with the light component mixed live.
Lux Aeterna - Polish premiere at Nowa Muzyka Festival 2019. Image © Dariusz Gackowski.
“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.”