Bandung (Indonesia), 23 May 1941
Cordes Invisibles
(for cello, piano and cd)
2004
duration: about 14′;
publisher: Donemus, Amsterdam 2005;
dedicated to Doris Hochscheid and Frans van Ruth;
composed with financial support from the Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst;
first performance: Amsterdam, January 30th 2005 by Doris Hochscheid and Frans van Ruth.
Roderik de Man studied percussion with Frans van der Kraan and music theory at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. During the same period he joined Kees van Baaren’s composition class and worked in the electronic studio under Dick Raaymakers. He has received numerous commissions from the Dutch composers’ fund Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst, the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts and the Johan Wagenaar Foundation, among others. De Man composes instrumental works as well as works for instruments combined with electronics. His oeuvre consists of solo works, chamber music, compositions for choir, for large ensemble and for orchestra. Many of his works are available on CD.
On various occasions his work has been selected by the international jury of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) to be performed at the World Music Days (Oslo 1991, Mexico 1993, Seoul 1997, Bucharest 1998, Switzerland 2004). Music, when soft voices die…, a work commissioned by and realised at the Institut International de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges in 2002, won first prize in the Musica Nova Competition in Prague. In 2005 Cordes invisibles for cello, piano and tape (CD) won first prize at the Concours International de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges. The work was also awarded a Golden Euphony in 2010.
Chromophores for ensemble and electronics was performed at the World Music Days in Hong Kong in 2007. Marionette for recorders, electronics and video projection received an honourable mention from Ars Electronica 2007. Marionette and Hear, hear! were nominated by de Toonzetters in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
Roderik de Man’s music has been performed and broadcast in Europe, the USA, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Indonesia, Korea and Japan.
‘The more complicated the programme notes, the more disappointing the sounding result often proves to be…’ comments Roderik de Man on his website, adding: ‘it would seem that my compositions are often experienced as visually evocative and are often associated with taking a journey or travelling a route. ‘I have absolutely no objection to this comparison, as long as it involves a journey without a predictable final destination that kindles excitement filled with expectancy at its outset.’
Regarding Cordes invisibles he wrote: ‘the text in the electronic section was written by the composer and spoken by Clotilde Verwaerde on the recording.
‘On aperçoit – mais ne voit pas
On entend – mais ne connaît pas
On sent – mais ne peut pas expliquer
Cordes invisibles’
The text makes reference to thoughts of the German philosopher and psychologist Carl Stumpf, who was of the opinion that, while not everything can be rationally comprehended in the act of listening to music, the subconscious compensates for this deficiency. The ‘cordes invisibles’ also relate to the connections between the instrumental and electronic sections.
Information taken from the composer’s website: www.roderikdeman.com.
Listen to part of Cordes Invisibles:
Recording:
see Discography
(October 26th 2012)