agua for Solo Cello and Fixed Media

The concept of this piece is to create an interplay between the live cello and the fixed media, playing with the sounds of water. The work is written in three vignettes that portray three ways in which water moves: falling, flowing, and floating. Within the "falling" section, the cello plays a duet with and counterpoint against water droplets falling that slowly crescendo into a rain storm. The rain picks up and begins to run off, so to speak, and "flowing" begins with streams turning to rivers turning to waves and the cello starts to float downstream with the water, ever moving faster. As the waves begin to crash ever harder, the listener is encapsulated by the water and enters the "floating" section, where the cello now plays a duet along with the water bubbling all around.

This piece is designed to be experienced in a surround sound setting, with the Fixed Media being played back through four quadrophonic channels, and the cello playing live from the front of the house. In the recording linked below, the entire performance is being recorded live, resulting in a stereo mix from the house