PALETTE

PALETTE is a Concerto for Augmented Orchestra (AO) that explores the symbiosis between music and art, and features both the sections and soloists from within the orchestra. With the AO, sounds originating in the acoustic orchestra are electronically transformed in real-time and seamlessly integrated into the listening experience.

PALETTE is set in seven five-minute movements – each one exploring a different hue and whose first letters collectively spell the title of the work: Plum, Amber, Lava, Ebony, Teal, Tangerine and Emerald. As part of the creative process, I have created a 30” x 30” painting for each movement – exploring gesture, texture, light and dark, color and form – elements that also translate to music.

Stemming from my love of calligraphy, the bass layer of each painting is a large brush-stroke gesture that outlines the first letter of each movement title. Upon this I added layer upon layer of paint, and mixed other substances into the paint to transform their textures: varnish for Amber, coarse ground pumice for Lava, fiber paste for Ebony and tiny glass beads for Emerald.

The AO is a collaboration with sound designer Jody Elff. You will hear basses pitch shifted down beyond their natural range, clarinets processed with harmonic distortion, upper harmonics added to horns, a triangle sustaining long beyond its natural decay, and a chorus added to multiple instruments to make the whole orchestra shimmer.

Expanding upon my explorations of the correlations between sight and sound, I have also collaborated with lighting designer Luke Kritzeck to create lighting cues for each of the seven movements – responding to, and incorporating elements from, my seven paintings. The intention is to envelop the audience to create a truly immersive and multisensory experience.

—Anna Clyne