Without
Without is a version of With played without mouthpieces. Following the exact structure of With, Without makes use of various timbral possibilities from key-clicks, air-pitch, trumpet sounds, tongue rams, a sax-flute hybrid technique, and more.
Without presents a drastically contrasting sonic experience to With in that pitch in the traditional sense, while present (and precisely notated), is largely obscured by the various techniques the performers must employ to create the sounds noted in the score. With this in mind, the harmonic and melodic materials of Without still exist in a gestural and structural manner similar to With, yet the timbral effects applied to these traditional materials create something analogous to a compositional “remix” – not dissimilar to a remix audio engineers might apply to preexisting sound recordings.
With and Without may be performed together on the same concert, or they may be performed as individual pieces. If performed on the same concert, it is recommended that they are not performed adjacently, unless one closes the first half of a concert, followed by a pause or intermission, and the other opens the second half.
One half of a commission by Ensemble du Bout du Monde, Without is approximately 9’00’’ in duration.