Wildlife and other works combining instruments and computers
David A. Jaffe
Well-Tempered Productions WTP-5199, released November 2011.
Click here to purchase Wildlife on iTunes
Click here to purchase the CD from Terra Non Firma Press.
Wildlife explores the connections between human and machine expression, from the half-human/half-bird voices of Impossible Animals, which took a month of computer time to synthesize on a mainframe in the 1980s, to the computer physical models of car engines and jet planes of Racing Against Time. The disc features the "Radio-drum," originally designed as a 3-dimensional mouse at Bell Labs. As used in Terra Non Firma, the conductor leads four cellists with his right hand while performing the Radio-drum part with his left hand, while in Wildlife, the Radio-drum is combined with the Zeta electronic violin to create an interactive duo. Each player can modify the sound produced by the other, sometimes in the spirit of cooperation, other times more like sabotage. The recording features performances by Radio-drum virtuoso Andrew Schloss, renowned contemporary music violinist Karen Bentley Pollick, the "Quarks!" ensemble, the Stanford Centennial Cello Ensemble, and David A. Jaffe.
Tracks
1] Racing Against Time 14:57
Dale Stammen, Kimm Brockett Stammen, saxophones; Judy Kehler Siebert, piano; David A. Jaffe, Irene Mitri, violins; Andrew Schloss, Radiodrum
2] Impossible Animals 12:35
Karen Bentley Pollick, violin
3] Terra Non Firma 14:29
Ami Radunskaya, Melissa Burton, Gwyneth Davis, Nina Flyer, cellos;
David A. Jaffe, condutor / Radio Baton
Wildlife (22:42)
David A. Jaffe, Zeta violin; Andrew Schloss, Radiodrum
4] I. Sonata “Sacre” 2:46
5] II. The Most Religious 4:04
6] III. Reversed Orbits 4:16
7] IV. Oracular and Prophetic 4:30
8] V. Edible Trance 7:06
Total Playing Time 65:00
All works BMI
Video
Video of works represented on the CD (not the same performances as on the CD).
"Wildlife," (first movement--"Sonata Sacre") by David A. Jaffe and Andrew Schloss