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Film/Video

Jon Rose.
Cuniform Records, Silver Spring, U.S.A., 2000.

Reviewed by Curtis Bahn, iEAR Studios, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, U.S.A. E-mail: crb@rpi.edu


"The Hyperstring Project," brings together a 30 year history of Rose's innovative experimentation with real and virtual string instruments. The CD features his great virtuosity as a violinist and improvisor, his skill as an instrument designer and builder, as well as his invention as a creator of "virtual" and technologically extended instruments.

The first track, "Siren," features Rose's dynamic, acoustic violin performance with an unusual "scordatura" tuning. The improvisation runs a gamut of virtuosic arpeggiation and double-stops played with a constant variation of bow techniques ranging from a rich full sound to ghostly light "flautando," and "sul ponticello" textures. "Siren" has a rich, haunting quality drawing on the unusual tonal relationships of the harmonics of the detuned strings, as well as the variation of timbres caused by the uneven string tensions.

The final track, "The Agony and the Ecstasy (Automatic Violin Quartet)," documents an automatic violin quartet installation built by Rose for the "Relative Violin Festival," 1989, Berlin, Academie der Kunst. It is a hurdy gurdy-like kaleidoscope of violin tones.

The 20 index points in between these two acoustic tracks represent Rose's development of his extended violin performance system. The system incorporates an unusual sensor interface used to control interactive computer algorithms in performance. As he writes in his program notes:

"there are three primary controllers... a sensor mounted on the violin bow that measures the bow pressure; an accelerometer mounted on the bowing arm, measuring bowing arm movement (and more importantly) speed of movement; and foot pedals which are played independently by both feet (normally playing bass lines and/or rhythmic material). "

With this performance interface Rose is able to control a vast array of timbres including: electronic, synthesized tones; sound samples drawing from traditional and folk instruments; and unique sounds from his unusual instrument constructions. Throughout the CD, the virtual ensemble textures create images ranging from a deranged free-jazz type group with abstracted piano and acoustic bass tones, to a chamber string/harpsichord ensemble, to machine-like abstract textures drawn from recordings of his "whipolin," an instrument which he describes as:

"a disemboweled cello which can be fitted with a variety of not exactly centered hurdy gurdy type wheels. The wheels have a number of different experimental surfacesá plain wood, serrated, hairy, wire-coated, and one covered with quite viscous looking spikes."

These tones are further abstracted through their playback creating growling low transposed tones to rapid, machine-gun passages of microscopic sound clips.

The aim of this system is to create a "Rouge counterpoint," a one man multi-voice improvisation. The counterpoint takes place between independent physical movements of the body and the controller devices, as well as between various musical lines generated by the computer system. The direction and evolution of the individual lines is generated by the nature of Rose's violin performance and through manipulation of the foot pedals, and does not draw upon pre-sequenced materials. This approach creates a solo performance with the dynamic quality of a high-energy group improvisation.

The CD documents Rose's work through a series of improvisations done over a three day period at the Steim musical research center in Amsterdam. These improvisations were excerpted and edited into a nearly continuous 50 minute textural exploration, indexed so that one may experience the music in many different ways by placing their CD player on shuffle-play mode.

This CD represents the culmination of a long history of innovative work that is to be applauded. Even with the great musical complexity generated by the interactive electronic system, Rose's virtuosic performance constantly shines through.

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