heurt [‘œr]
friction/conflict
Written in 2010 for the argentinian cello player Martín Devoto. Heurt is a piece that exploits the multi timbre capabilities of the cello to construct musical gestures similar to the ones found in electro acoustic music. The real time processing of sound is done through a custom Pure Data patch. This program interacts with the performer to produce the electronic sounds. The main objective of the piece is to try to give a different treatment to the “live electronics” part rather than the one it usually has. This is because live electronics, during many years, has been used to subtly extend the acoustic instruments. Heurt tries to establish a more discursive part for the computer. It uses timbres that are far away from the cello but entirely produced by it and creates gestures that have musical independence. Conceptually the piece draws a path through different expressive sounds and gestures that the cello has in its history. During the performance, the player takes us from elaborated extended timbres of the XX and XXI century to a more classical and romantic moments or lines. Heurt is a french word meaning conflict or friction and makes reference to the opposing conceptual structures previously mentioned, these opposing structures collide and create musical moments that complete it.