Concert de ondes martenot i electrònica amb Tomomi Kubo
Concert de ondes martenot i electrònica amb Tomomi Kubo
Dimarts 5 de Febrer, 20 h. Sala Aranyó (Campus UPF Poblenou, Roc Boronat 138), entrada gratuïta
Tomomi Kubo: El so de les ondes martenot
The ondes martenot is one of the earliest electronic instruments, patented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot, contemporaneously with the Theremin. Martenot, a radio operator during World War I, was inspired by the accidental overlaps of tones between military radio oscillators, and wanted to create an instrument with the expressiveness of string instruments.
The ondes martenot is a monophonic instrument, producing sound through three different diffusors: a regular loudspeaker, a flame-shaped resonance loudspeaker (palme) inside a resonant chamber with tuned strings that vibrate sympathycally; and a metallic diffusor, consisting on a gong set in vibration by an engine (the metal replacing the membrane of the loudspeaker), which creates a sound halo of precise pitch.
A mobile keyboard allows to perform expressive vibrato techniques and micro intervals. In front of and along the keyboard there is a ribbon with a ring through which the interpreter puts the forefinger of her right hand. The frequencies obtained correspond to the key facing the ring, producing a timbre resembling that of human vocalisations or bowed string instruments. On the left part of the instrument, a drawer contains the parameter controls, together with an intensity key.
Mainly used in french avant-garde music, remarkably by Oliver Messiaen, the ondes martenot are usually played within larger ensembles, due to its monophonic nature. In this concert, Tomomi Kubo presents a selection of works for solo ondes martenot, in a definitely unusual and attractive programme.
Programme
+ Roland Creuze: ALS... for ondes martenot solo (1996)
+ Gilles Gobeil: Voix blanche for ondes martenot and tape (1989)
+ Tomomi Kubo: after the wind... (2017)
+ Junichi Matsumoto: Skippin mirrors for ondes martenot, metronomes and two castanets (2009)
+ Tomomi Kubo: TaBeLu-OTO (2018)
+ Takashi Harada: Praise to Hakuho Buddah (2017)