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| Voyage is based on but not limited to well known travel sounds (planes, trains, cars). It develops into dream-like sequences that travelers might experience particularly on longer journeys. As I created Voyage, it also became a spiritual journey for me. There is no definite program for this piece, but rather, listeners can decide on their own personal voyage. |
CD: Voyage
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| The Creation is an example of programme music (music in which sounds are used to depict the concrete elements and form of a story). The story is the creation of the world. In The Creation, I use three types of sounds, natural sounds (ocean waves and whale sounds), sampled acoustic instruments (an entire synthesized symphony orchestra) and electronic sounds. Sound types are sometimes used alone and at other times blended. There are even some instances when one type of sound mimics or transforms into another, for example, low whale fluttering sounds are cross-faded with similar low electronic sounds in the first section of the piece. The climax of the piece is a section for large orchestra. The orchestra was created by stacking digitally sampled acoustic instruments and as such, is an example of a life-like computer-controlled orchestra. This version is a remix created in 2003.
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CD: The Creation
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| Chronos and Chronos II (1999) are pure computer music pieces. Music computers were used
to create instruments (unique sounds) and to generate MIDI sequences to play these instruments
based on selected parameters including pitch class, tessitura, duaration class, dynamic
level range, tempo, and percent notes vs. rests.
This process quickly created several hours of sound, not music, however. My intention was
to use these sequences to suggest ideas for sections of music. I culled through a large
number of them and, after selecting those which had the most musical potential, manually
altered MIDI events as dictated by my ear and my imagination to create fully shaped sections
of music. As you probably have guessed, most of the time to create Chronos and Chronos II
was spent on this shaping or refining process.
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CD: Voyage
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| Andante Ritmico is an etude in rhythm, much of which is based on the transformation
and development of its opening theme. It was originally created as a solo piano piece
in 1988 and is dedicated to professor Howard Tuvelle, a concert pianist. Howard was my
piano instructor in college and has remained a very good friend over the years.
This version is a duet arrangement created in 2002 for a concert performed
with my wife Lynn at the Wistariahurst museum in Holyoke Massachusetts.
The arrangement is fairly faithful to the original, however, due to the additional
pair of hands, I was able to add lines and reinforce some of the sections, which created
slight changes in the overall form of the piece.
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CD: A Piano Duet Recital - Lynn & David Congo
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| Soliloquy was created on an Ensoniq ESQ1 Digital Wave Synthesizer. A single oboe-like
voice called Voxres was used. The ESQ1 internal MIDI sequencer allowed me to compose
and perform this piece entirely with the ESQ1, which accounts for its name. Soliloquy
is in three part form (ABA). A single melodic line, based on a three note motif, is
used in the outer sections. The middle section is scored for two voices and consists
of an ornamented line accompanied by an ostinato derived from the opening motif.
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CD: The Creation
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| Chronos and Chronos II (1999) are pure computer music pieces. Music computers were used
to create instruments (unique sounds) and to generate MIDI sequences to play these instruments
based on selected parameters including pitch class, tessitura, duaration class, dynamic
level range, tempo, and percent notes vs. rests.
This process quickly created several hours of sound, not music, however. My intention was
to use these sequences to suggest ideas for sections of music. I culled through a large
number of them and, after selecting those which had the most musical potential, manually
altered MIDI events as dictated by my ear and my imagination to create fully shaped sections
of music. As you probably have guessed, most of the time to create Chronos and Chronos II
was spent on this shaping or refining process.
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CD: Voyage
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| Electronic Images was created using standard multitrack tape techniques. All sounds in this piece were created using a Moog synthesizer. |
CD: Voyage
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David Congo
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