Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus
Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus (2020) for pianist and speakers inside the piano.
The impact of the lockdown on nature was pronounced, as people were confined at home, animals began to feel freer in cities, pollution and noise levels decreased and birdsong became more audible. Confined at home, I began to watch starling flocks in my garden and listen to their (by my first-impression) non melodic songs. I wanted to capture their voices, turning them into a virtual instrument.
Composition Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus reflects on the idea of confinement. Piano part has a developed rhythmical language and is treated as a percussion instrument with prepared strings inside the big resonating box. Tiny speakers inside the piano play the brief starling calls which have a timbre function, creating a reverb and later a delay of a played instrument. Expanding it’s register the piece progresses keeping the dependency between piano and tape while symbolising a bird trapped between the strings, only making sound when struck by piano hammers but still hoping to break free.
Virtual instrument patch created by Kristijonas Naslenas.
On Spotify, listen to Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus performed by Marta Finkelštein during her online recital 88+ from the Mama studios, streamed on Youtube and still available on the Lithuanian National Radio. Watch a video of the concert on contribee.com/kontaktasvnems.
Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus performances :
2024.12.06
Christine Marchais at the Rouen City Hall, Saison de la Lituanie en France.
2024.11.24
Richard Uttley at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, UK.
2024.04.13
Zane Rubesa recital IN LOVE WITH LIBERTY at Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan, Italy.
2023.10.05
Marta Finkelštein recording session at Organum hall, Vilnius, Lithuania.
2023.07.11
Robert Fleitz, festival En Blanc Et Noir in Lagrasse, France.
2022.06.17
Marco Riccelli (der/gelbe/klang) at Villa Waldberta, Germany.
2020.12.11
Premiere by Marta Finkelštein at Mama studios, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus (2020) analysis is featured in Robert Fleitz’s Master’s thesis “Microtonality in works for solo piano: Three case studies in the Baltic keyboard repertoire” defended at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.
Posters for the premiere of Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus (2020).
Excerpt from the score Sturnus vulgaris cohibitus (2020).