Impact of Buildings (2001) - stereophonic tape for dance
First performed on SummerFest/Dance at the Cowell Theater in San Francisco
on July 13, 2001. Impact of Buildings is the second collaboration between Peter V. Swendsen and Mary Carbonara. The piece originates from an exploration of architectural space within memory. The dancers each acquire a set of attributes and limitations based on a specific physical characteristic of a space within their history. The group dynamic, though still driven by architectural geometry, is spirited more by emotional relationships between the dancers. A series of duets and trios reveals a power struggle within the group, as momentum and freedom of movement are impeded. The music attempts to define the performers' external and internal spaces, straddling architectural and emotional duties. The sonic vocabulary consists mainly of sampled cello and prepared piano, as well as voices sampled within specific architectural spaces. Gamelan samples and computer-generated sound account for the remaining material. The piece, which begins in silence on stage, dwells in diverse spaces, as longing melodies in the cello give way to percussive outbursts from the prepared piano, and later as all elements combine for frenzied minutes in the heart of the piece, before finally yielding to a quieter end. |
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