RAPHAËL CENDO (b.1975): In Vivo for String Quartet, Charge for 7 Instruments and Electronics, Furia for Piano and Cello, Tract for 8 Instruments, Décombres for Tubax and Electronics.

Catalogue Number: 04N104
Label: Aeon
Reference: AECD 1224
Format: CD
Price: $17.98
Description: The composer makes much of his concept of 'saturation' of musical sounds, by which he appears to mean; sounds containing simultaneously as great a density of pitch information as possible. Not surprisingly, electronic synthesis and transmutation of sounds lend themselves to this approach, and as the frequency content of sound waves increases as a function of increasing distortion, the electronic components of Charge and Décombres are not particularly easy on the ear, to put it mildly. In fact, all these pieces might be well described a confrontational in nature; the cello and piano Furia distorts the timbres of both instruments so completely using alternative playing techniques and extreme forms of preparation that one is compelled to consult the booklet notes to be assured that no additional electronic distortions are present, and the string quartet and ensemble pieces consist largely of a barrage of high-energy instrumental noise textures produced through playing of extravagant virtuosity. Uneasy listening as it may be, Cendo's music occupies a soundworld of uncompromising novelty and originality. Ensemble Cairn; Guillaume Bourgogne.