Manifold
Michael Wittgraf
About this work:
Manifold is informed by a mathematical system involving polynomials and their
roots. The system is employed as a pre-compositional tool in two different ways. The fast, single-line sections use patterns around “central” or “main” pitches. Those central pitches are transformed via the system as the work progresses. In the remaining sections, I assign numerical values to each of 6 different musical parameters (loudness, density, tessitura, degree of polyphony, attack point rhythm, and lengths of sections), and each of these was divided into 6 numerical “levels”. Transforming these sets of six numbers yielded new sets of numbers which correspond to pitches. In other words, “how the music sounds” determines the pitch content of these sections. Manifold was written in 1995 for Jesse Langen.
Year composed: 1995
Duration: 00:11:00
Ensemble type: Solo instrument, non-keyboard:Guitar (Classical/Acoustic)
Instrumentation: 1 Guitar (Classical/Acoustic)