Submitted by Richard Van Kleeck on Tue, 04/22/2008 - 10:22am.
The epic 2008 edition of Musical America features an unlikely, full color two-page photograph of The Princeton Laptop Orchestra a.k.a. PLOrk. The accompanying caption begins “the Computer Age throws down a gauntlet.” The implied threat is that electronic devices are encroaching on the territory of traditional orchestras. Leaving aside the irony of using an object from the Middle Ages to describe the increasing integration of 21st century technology into musical performance, this “challenge” is nothing to fear.
A recent performance by PLOrk on the Sonic Divergence Festival at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall featured twenty laptopists, five conductors, acoustic violin and percussion soloists, and members of the Northwestern University Percussion Ensemble. Ample ingredients for an interesting evening of music were in place. And it was very interesting, up to a point.
The big question going in, even taking into account the brilliant minds at work on this project, was “how great will the distance be between what is musically possible and what we will actually hear?” While many of the elements for success were present, there is a long interesting journey ahead to close the existing gap between the two.
The technical creativity, innovative language allowing real time interaction among ensemble members, individual speaker systems, and obvious commitment by the performers produced a series of different “soundscapes” that, nevertheless, ran the emotional gamut from A to B. The technical wizardry is still in need of a way to make contact with the senses. Operational sequencing dominated the proceeding leaving a longing by the audience for phrasing, melody, and musical entry points.
Some of the best moments involved the acoustic instrumental interaction. We could see what they were doing and how they were doing it. Those moments were pregnant with the possibility that anything could go very right or very wrong at any time, making the audience a partner in the live performance experience. This was a welcome sensation.
Just as a great concert hall is only as good as the artists who perform on its stage, laptop orchestras will always be dependent on the quality of the music written for it and its ability to engage the audience as a partner. In that regard, there is much to do, and there is little to fear as far as usurpation of performance opportunities by armies of laptop-toting computer science majors.
Equally clear is the potential for new technology to compliment and embellish the music and musicians we have come to love, enjoy, and respect. I have little doubt that evolving technical innovations will one day blossom into the reality of something more artistically and emotionally engaging. It will be an exciting new addition to the lexicon of the arts when it happens. The battle has begun and the troops are energized.
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Music College Student (not verified) | Sun, 04/27/2008 - 3:23pm
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