Sublimation of the Transient, for String Quintet (Copy)
By Frank Spigner
Sublimation of the Transient (Composed in 2011 – this version was recorded in May 2015 at The Stone, NYC) String Quintet (string quartet + double bass) This performance of my piece, Sublimation of the Transient, was performed by Alex Fortes (Talea ensemble, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Future in REverse), violin; Katie Hyun (Houston Symphony, Dallas Chamber Orchestra), violin; DJ Cheek (Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Cantata Profana), viola; Michael Nicolas (International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Da Capo Chamber Players, Met Chamber Ensemble), cello; Logan Coale (A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra, International Contemporary Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound), bass at The Stone as part of a group concert, curated by Suzanne Farrin. This piece, which I wrote in 2011 while studying composition with Joel Thome at SUNY Purchase, expands upon traditional concert music in terms of notational system and form. The piece alternates between through-composed movements and circular 'mandala' scores which are read by the instrumentalists in a rotating manner, where there is a glissando from one note to another. The instrumentalists are instructed to use the parameters of these scores as a framework to improvise off of each other while exploring the space between each note, and use various elements such as timbre and articulation to engage in a sonic dialogue with each other. Score download: https://frankspigner.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/frank-spigner-sublimation-of-the-transient-for-string-quintet1.pdf
About the Artist
Frank Spigner
Frank Spigner is a composer, artist, and engineer who has been actively creating an evolving array of works in the form of music and sound art, installation, sculpture, and electronic media at the conservatory and gallery level, at music and art festivals, and at various concerts and exhibitions throughout the US. His work has appeared at such venues as The Stone, Pioneer Works Center for Art and Innovation, Experimental Intermedia Foundation, Judith Charles Gallery, Issue Project Room, BronxArtSpace, Basilica Hudson, Silent Barn, LeRoy Neiman Gallery, and Sweet Thunder Electro-Acoustic Music Festival among others. His performances include numerous collaborations such as performing the works of John Cage at the National Academy Museum & School with composer-performer and Pulitzer Prize recipient, Du Yun, performing the works of Grammy award winning composer, Joel Thome, and working with sound art pioneer Liz Phillips on several installations and multimedia works. He has given a number of lectures and workshops at the university level and has been featured in publications such as Composers Circle, SubMag, PAPER Magazine, and The Creative Quarterly Journal of Art & Design which named him one of the “100 Best of 2015” in the category of Fine Arts. In addition to his music and sound work, much of Frank’s current work takes on an intermedia approach, often involving the melding of several different mediums such as interactive audio-visual installations, sonic and kinetic sculpture, synthesizer and audio hardware design, performance, and socially mediated public works. He has also served a clientele of musicians, studio artists, and arts organizations as an audio engineer, electronics designer, fabricator, and creative technologist. Frank studied Music Composition at the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase, holds an MFA in Sound Arts from the Columbia University Computer Music Center, and currently works as a fulltime Recorded Music Technician at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU.