Aaron Cassidy : 'The crutch of memory' for solo violin.

Abstract

The work is written in prescriptive ‘tabulature’ notation (which specifies the means of execution without identifying the resulting sound) for indeterminate stringed instrument. The work prioritises and foregrounds the physical, choreographic elements of musical performance, and the sonic surface is driven by physical states, the interface between the body of the player and the body of the instrument and physical gestures. The project is thus conceived in order: 1) to re-assess the function of notation, 2) to involve the performer and her decision-making process as part of the formulation of the work, and 3) to investigate the effect of allowing corporeal actions to be present as musical material in their own right (and not simply as means to an aural end). The project is closely linked to the article ‘Prescriptive Notation: Limits and Challenges’.