I have always marveled at the mastery of Renaissance composers. Responsorium (12'03") (2009) is my first attempt, modeled after Missa pro defunctis (1605) by late Renaissance Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), to build a rule system that makes possible the integration of a plainchant melody into twelve-tone harmonies. The piece consists of "Cantus" and contrasting "Versus" sections. While harmonies are rather static in the Cantus sections, pitch-class sets are constantly transformed in the Versus sections according to the pitches of the D-Dorian melody. All the voice leading and the transformations are strictly regulated by the rule system implemented in my own Java program. The program generated score files for the sound synthesis and processing software "RTcmix," developed by Brad Garton. And its channel vocoder, phase vocoder, and various filter instruments, written by John Gibson, process the vocal sounds and produce all the synthesized sounds in real time.
Responsorium was selected by JSSA (Japanese Society for Sonic Arts) and performed by Reisiu Sakai (soprano) on September 12, 2015 at Salamanca Hall Electroacoustic Music Festival in Gifu, Japan.
Responsorium was selected for performance at
SMC 2012 and performed by
Signe Asmussen (mezzo) on July 11th, 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Responsorium was selected for performance at
CMMR 2012 and performed by Amanda Morrison (soprano) on June 20th, 2012 in London, UK.
Responsorium was selected for performance and performed by Mackenzie L. Eckberg (soprano) on February 9, 2012, at
SEAMUS 2012 in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA.
Responsorium was performed by Prof. Mary Stucky (mezzo) on January 18, 2012, at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Sonic Explorations concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Responsorium was selected for performance and performed by Martina Gojceta Silic (soprano) on April 11, 2011, at
ISCM World New Music Days 2011 in Zagreb, Croatia.
