The Fetishes (2004-05/2006)
A fetish, or fetishization,
at least in the American usage, is the preoccupation with
an object signifying something else, namely sexuality.
Famous examples include shoes or feet, and leather
garments. However, in this case by “fetish” is
meant the preoccupation through History of certain musical
types, as signifiers for cultural information or emotions.
The work is
constructed using somewhere between five and seven
“themes” and cycling them in textural
combination and variation, through which achieving a
gradual change. Some of the “fetishes” utilized
include: the fetishization of tones by repetition, of
science by formalized process, image by pantomime,
resonance, banality, the idea transcendence through melody,
associations by style and text-sound with suffering and
maternity; through all this finally representing the
fetishization of History.
The complicated
and troubling things about Fetishes are that the Latinate
text is in fact linguistically meaningless, made-up, and
that the expressive and ironic are indistinguishable, the
beautiful becoming banal and the banal or obnoxious
ultimately beautiful (it is my hope). As listeners, we must
struggle to make sense of parts and combinations, how to
separate them out, how to create meaning without hope of
discerning intent, which may remind us of something...
The Fetishes exists in many version: a long version for
piano and soprano (25'), two shorter versions, and an
arrangement of a third shorter version for soprano and
ensemble (fl., dbl. picc. & alto; clar., dbl. bass;
viola; contabass; harp; piano, dbl. harpsicord).
Listen to the version
with ensemble:
The
Fetishes (ensemble EDIT)
Get the original score:
thefetishes