Omnivorous Furniture exists at the junction between a world of morphing electronic beats - generally described as electronica - and the rich and varied textures of a chamber orchestra.
While these two musical spaces usually exist on opposite ends of the universe, my activities in both have convinced me of some pregnant possibilities. The thumping electronica beats of an underground club - which are other-worldly sounds to some listeners of acoustic, two-hundred year-old instruments - can provide an interesting stasis that an orchestra's myriad textures can explore. Some might even proclaim the orchestra the finest synthesizer ever made. This can create thrilling possibilities when paired with the rhythmic contagion of electronica.
The work is organized around several "omnivorous moments," when material previously perceived as background - the wallpaper or "furniture" surrounding the foreground material - ultimately consumes the entire texture. The fleeting pentatonic tune that opens the work, for example, is chased by a variety of staccato, pointillistic gestures that point the listener's attention away from any sustained notes. But these sustained notes in the orchestra begin to fuse together rapidly in the moments preceding the first climax, creating a sonic wall which shatters the beats that have dominated the first quarter of the piece.
The orchestral interlude that then ensues is a feature that reappears with greater significance. Indeed, the form of the work is quite simple: progressively longer orchestral interludes interrupt progressively shorter beat sections. Superimposed over this is the gradual elongation of the opening motive, from its bouncy and capricious first moments to its long, lyrical flowering in the work's core. This melody, having reached its expressive peak during the orchestra's longest escape from the electronica beats, then begins to dissolve. Pulled lower and lower by sliding pitch, it collapses into the work's final ambient space in a kind of chemical meltdown of pitch and texture. Flowering imperceptibly from this surreal ambient landscape, a reincarnation of the work's opening material swiftly brings us to the end.
Omnivorous Furniture combines evolving electronica beats with the textures of a chamber orchestra. The piece requires simply two stereo speakers, placed on the left and right sides of the stage, and a CD player or computer for playback. While the conductor needs to "follow" the beats when they are present, there are three moments in the piece when the beats shatter and progressively longer orchestral interludes ensure (thus allowing the conductor flexibility in those passages, as well as several chances to re-coordinate with the electronica).
A monitor placed near the conductor, as well as one situated behind the orchestra, would help the musicians stay in precise tempo with the beats. For reasons of balance and precision, an additional "percussionist" who monitors the playback and balance - situated in the percussion section - would be most helpful in providing a liaison between the acoustic and electronic elements of the piece. The conductor cues this player four times in the piece, triggering the beats.
piccolo / flute
oboe
Eb / Bb clarinet
bassoon / contrabassoon
horn
trumpet (mutes: straight, harmon, solotone)
bass trombone
electronica (see performance notes)
percussion: xylophone, marimba, vibra-phone, suspended cymbal, splash cymbal, sizzle cymbal, finger cymbals, triangles (high, mid), tam-tams (small, large), chinese gongs (high, mid, low), crotales (with bow), bass drum
harp
piano
strings (one or two on a part)