Christopher Coleman
a multitude, before creation (2011)
duration 10:05
Instrumentation
fixed media
Program Note
a multitude, before creation, for fixed media, is the second of a collection of compositions exploring the technique of massive replication and time-shifting. a multitude, before creation takes a recording of the music of Giovanni Gabrieli as its source, subjecting it to time stretching, then dozens, hundreds, thousands and eventually millions of replications, all time-shifted by tiny increments, to create an unearthly sound that is still recognizably harmonic in places.
The piece takes its title from the biblical conundrum of creation--angels are not mentioned in the creation stories of Genesis, so they must have existed before creation...but nothing existed before creation...
a multitude, before creation was premiered in May, 2011 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK.