Piece for tape, transducer speakers and ensemble, inspired by the Japanese book Karada about the ‘school of the body’ written by Michitaro Tada. Using texts selected from Karada, Claudio F Baroni has written an hour long piece for MAZE Ensemble wherein whispered voices become music. The composition discloses the hidden harmonies which exist in normal speech, balancing on the tension between the flow of whispered, or ‘un-voiced speech’ and the sustained harmonies which are brought to the surface by the ensemble.

This album features 11 pieces, each, as in Karada, dedicated to a part of the body. Tada’s text presents the human body as an object among other objects, as well as a being that sees and touches other objects. This is however no physiological study, this reflection on his years of observation of the body is actually a wide-ranging exploration of culture, memory, science, expression, and reality.

Sound Installation

Baroni composed this piece as part of a collaboration with artist Adi Hollander for the live performance sound installation The Body Imitates the Landscape: a collection of ergonomic objects that are meant to transform music into vibrations felt through the entire body. (see pictures below).

Ensemble MAZE:
Anne La Berge – alto flute
Gareth Davis – bass clarinet
Reinier van Houdt – keyboards
Wiek Hijmans – electric guitar
Dario Calderone – double bass
with Enric Monfort – percussion
Claudio F. Baroni – live electronics

The CD comes with liner notes by Reinaldo Laddaga. Baroni dedicated this work to Robert Ashley (1930-2014).

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