The middle sections are more abstract. The second is a small homage to Jean-Claude Risset. Pater Noster's Tricyclic Companion by Bret Battey Flautist Sarah Bassingthwaighte commissioned Pater Noster's Tricyclic Companion in 1998. Inspired by her energetic personality and command over fast passage-work, I wrote a virtuosic display piece emphasizing driving, syncopated rhythms and a dense, layered accompaniment. The title does not mean anything in particular.
Technology can extend the acoustic experience.
The timbres, gestures, and the very space from which the sound emanates should originate in the acoustic instrument, in this case, the piano. All sounds are based on piano sounds. I was able to separate the percussive, hammer attack from the longer, resonant decay of the struck piano note. All sounds are created in real time in response to the gestures of the pianist. The MIDI piano in combination with both a sampler and a real time, software based, additive synthesis engine make this possible.