Works by Steve Wanna

Electroacoustic and Mixed Media Works

Abeyance for 1 percussionist, 1 performer of any sustaining instrument and interactive electronics (2006-07)

Duration: variable

Program Notes: In Abeyance, I continue to explore the notion of multiplicities and different meanings and interpretations of interactivity (beyond commonly-accepted definitions), and to further my aesthetic preference for music that foregoes linearity in the interest of situations or pockets of interest that may randomly arise, as several elements come together and unfold over a certain period of time. In the words of John Cage, the work becomes an opportunity for perception. In exploring interactivity, the work plays on the inevitability of interaction in performance situations and ways of deliberately trying to avoid it. Specifically, the two performers on stage do not have any direct interaction, but rather engage in a kind of dance or chase, each occupying one of six possible sectors on the stage. The two are purposefully kept separate, both physically and sonically, yet forced to navigate a shared physical and sonic space. Each of them shapes their sound objects and gestures in real-time. The electronics consist of a computer program that responds to certain parameters of the sustaining instrument. The computer triggers random playback of pre-composed sound files, thus giving the performer only partial (or blind) control over the computer. The percussionist has the option of interacting with the computer and/or the other performer by allowing the sonic activity of one or both to influence the percussionist’s own shaping of sound objects. The three members of this ensemble (two performers and computer), therefore, are governed by rules with varying degrees and types of interactivity, without ever having total control over all these rules or all the aspects of their interactions with one another. The identity of the group takes shape, in part, as the individual identities of its members emerge and recede, and these (the collective and individual identities) are juxtaposed and allowed to evolve along several paths, at times cohering and at other times diverging quite widely.

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(in)difference/s for 1 or more percussionists and 4 loudspeakers (2005-06)

Duration: variable

Program Notes:  This work deals with the notion of multiplicities: here, sound objects that initially are perceived to be very similar, but begin to gain some sense of uniqueness with familiarity. There are five components (interpreter and 4 loudspeakers) fixed in physical space cycling through sound objects of limited sonic material in random order. They are not coordinated but simply coexist in the space, which is a different level of interaction aided by the limited scope of the sonic material. The work, therefore, sets up an exciting situation with rich potential for unique formal explorations (sonic, organizational, etc), in which interactions between sound objects may (or may not) create fleeting moments of interest that have no history and that are not obligated to lead anywhere specific.

de/fragment/s for 2-channel tape alone (2004-05)

Duration: variable

Program notes: de/fragment/s is for tape alone, in stereo diffusion (speakers ideally placed behind the audience in a concert hall). The work addresses the "concert hall" setting/mode of presentation in its typical, standard format, by working with, rather than against that setting. From a technical point of view, it deals with the idea of open form, here taken beyond the frame of the individual piece and applied to an entire concert. There are seven distinct sound objects available for choice. These represent an open source of available materials. Normally, the number of objects on a concert should be determined by the number of other pieces on that concert: the objects should be distributed among the other pieces (alternating with them, one object every two pieces or whatever seems suitable. Repetitions of individual objects are possible). The objects, fragmented and pushed apart as they are, aim to bring a different level of continuity to a concert. The individual objects may be regard as separate pieces, complete in and of themselves; they do not rely on each other for any sense of completeness. Broadly speaking, the sounds in this work deal, in various ways, with the notion of movement (internally, within the sound or externally, imposed on it, or both in various combinations).

Figer for 4-channel tape alone (2003)

Duration: ~ 17 minutes

Program Notes:  Figer (pronounced Fee.jeh - French for ‘congeal’ or ‘coalesce’). The question of the perception of time is central to this piece, and is addressed in several ways. In one sense, the design of Figer is simple. There are three layers of activity, each dealing with time in its own way. The first layer (layer 1) consists of sounds that are heard from beginning to end with little or no change. It provides a sort of backdrop for the other two layers, which are generally more active. Each of those two (layers 2 and 3) is further broken into two parts, and each layer treats its parts in different ways. The two parts of layer 2 form a continuous ‘whole’ that is simply cut in two and separated, while the two parts of layer 3 are reiterations or restatements of the same general idea. At the heart of Figer, therefore, lies a constant process of presenting materials or ideas and immediately, or, at times simultaneously, commenting, reflecting on, or reinterpreting that material. All of the layers of this piece deal, both at local and global levels, with the concept of time and its perception relative to the materials, sonic or otherwise, that occupy it, and the manner in which these layers unfold and relate to each other.

Chamber and Solo Works (Acoustic)

Spiral of Sound for 3 or more of the same sustaining string instrument (2007)

Duration: variable

Program Notes: The title is borrowed from a political science and mass communication theory that asserts that a person is less likely to voice an opinion on a topic if he/she feels him/herself is in the minority, for fear of reprisal or isolation from the majority.  The piece sets up a situation in which each performer must strike a balance between taking the initiative to affect change and remaining mindful of the collective state of the ensemble.  The success of the piece hinges on each performer’s awareness of their individuality and of their place in the collective as well as their being able to alternately assume the role of leader and follower in a responsible and balanced way.

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Trayectoria for a mixed ensemble of any size, with or without a conductor (2007)

Duration: variable

Program Notes: Trayectoria is the latest work in which I explore the role of the performer, here in the context of the ensemble. The score consists of various combinations geometric shapes, colors and patterns, each encoding one instruction. These are arranged in a large hexagon and connected via arrows that are used to navigate between the shapes. Additional symbols are also used to allow each performer to determine their interaction with other performers. Each Performer navigates the hexagon on their own, determining the precise interpretation and duration of each object. The overall behavior of the ensemble is determined by each performer as they carefully listen to and interact with other performers (or ignore them, depending on the specifications of each individual object and the spontaneous decisions of the performer).

Nhas for 7 horns, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, tuba (2002)

Duration: ~ 12 minutes

Program Notes: The piece is in seven sections, grouped into 2 parts (4 + 3). The piece as a whole deals with the interplay between homogeneity and non-homogeneity, as determined by various parameters that change and evolve throughout (e.g.: pitch, noise, register, etc). Both parts follow a similar trajectory, each moving from homogenous to non-homogenous states, with the second part moving at a more accelerated rate.

pAr for oboe, English horn, trumpet, flugelhorn (2001)

Duration: ~ 4 minutes

Program Notes: pAr, that which is equal. Although this work involves four performers, the four are always paired, and only one pair is playing at any given moment. The four instruments were chosen for their timbral qualities (similarities and subtle differences between the oboe and English horn on one hand, and the trumpet and flugelhorn on the other). The two pairs of instruments (oboe-trumpet and English horn-flugelhorn) alternate between sections of highly energetic, repetitive sounds and long sustained sounds that change very slowly and very minimally (often by microtones). Each section explores and exploits the rich timbral qualities of each pair of instruments and how these timbers fuse together and separate.

Thaloot for piano, violin, cello (2000-01)

Duration: ~ 10 minutes

Program Notes: The piece is in three movements. The first alternates between strict and free time. The second is constructed of sounds and gestures that are extracted from a continuum of organized to disorganized, arranged in a non-linear fashion. The very short third movement consists of four meta-gestures that expand and then contract in register.

Gurungdu for solo violin (1999)

Duration: ~ 5 minutes

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Orchestral Works

Écrans for large orchestra (2002-03)

Duration: ~ 12 minutes

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