PROGRAM LISTING

Cable Ready (1997) Michael Gandolfi (b.1956)

I. Power Chords
II. The All-Interval Tetrachord Blues
III. Fully Inserted

PROGRAM NOTES

     Cable Ready was commissioned by the Core Ensemble through a grant from Meet the Composer, Inc. The first movement, Power Chords, employs a type of chord that is prevalent in rock music: a perfect-fifth chord. Additionally, there is an elaborate play between two time worlds: one which is triple based (swing-like) and another which is duple based (funky). Both time-worlds are potential realizations of the opening motif. Initially, the hi-hat cymbal defines each time-world, in sequence. At the end of the movement the ride cymbal (duple-time) and hi-hat cymbal (triple-time) define both worlds simultaneously.
     The second movement, the All-Interval Tetrachord Blues, is a satirical expose on the distinctions that exist between the concert and pop worlds. An all-interval tetrachord is a collection of four pitches, which contains all possible intervals. There are two such collections, both of which have found their way into much music of our time. Typically, they are used in highly chromatic, intellectually rigorous music. However, one of these collections produces a basic blues melody, which I decided to exploit. In the spirit of Thelonious Monk's famous blues Wrong is Right (in which he demonstrates that a 'wrong-note' blues melody will sound right, if the wrong notes are applied judiciously), I juxtaposed quotes from great masters of the past, enabling them to participate in this ubiquitous structure. Stravinsky, 'the three B's', and Charlie Parker are represented.
     The third movement Fully Inserted refers to the state of 'plugging in' a guitar cable. Typically, an electric guitar is connected to an array of signal processors, which enhances the guitar's sound. One very common signal processor is a digital-delay unit, which allows a player to electronically transform a solo line into a full ensemble of lines, each of which consists of the line played a few moments earlier, juxtaposed against itself. I decided to make a human version of this modern canonic device.

Michael Gandolfi

Download these notes as a Word document

Back to 'Selected Compositions, Scores and Audio Files' page (or hit your browser's back button)