• Arne Nordheim
  • Floating (1970)

  • Edition Wilhelm Hansen Copenhagen (World)
  • 4.4.4.4/4.4.4.0/4perc/hp/pf/cel/str
  • 12 min

Programme Note

Floating was commissioned by the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and was premiered in Graz on 20 October 1970 with Miltiades Caridis as conductor. It falls into three parts, and the overriding idea is a gradual interdisplacement in time of brief motifs to create ever-new constellations. The whole composition is characterized by a modicum of elements and long, continually changing tone surfaces.

In the first section the movement is dominated by a minor third (h-d1), which is varied across a sedate contrapuntal block in deep-toned strings. The second part consists of two free passages with an interlude between them in which each instrument continually repeats motifs of different lengths. In the final section the strings build up a 48-voice counterpoint of repeating motifs which is gradually thinned out by short cluster chords in other groups. The main form of the composition is ABA'. Floating is in many ways an orchestral realization of the potential inherent in tape music.

- From the CD by Aurora Records NCD-B 4933

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