Torstensson relies strongly on expressive terms in speaking of musical sounds. Words like granular, angular or flowing describe his music better than do more traditional descriptions of pitches or melodies. In Torstensson s composition, the concept of pitch is subordinate to the pure sound. A c is never merely a c , according to the composer, the effect depends on the instrument that is playing it. That s why in the first version of a score I usually only give a rough indication of the pitches.
Pitch is an aid in marking off the identity of something, the result of a physical action.
Generally, it is a function of the timbre of an instrument. Torstensson does not meekly acquiesce to what is traditionally thought of as the capabilities of a given instrument, with the result that his work explores a surprising, unfamiliar world of sound. In Koorde , for example, a piece for two pianos, the composer sought for a key to gain control over the instrument. In the second movement, the musicians play directly on the strings and finally Torstensson fans out from a single tone with tremolo to ever broader spectra. The listener hears lesser known sides of the bass saxophone.