
Andrew Mark Sauerwein
COMPOSER, TEACHER, LEARNER...
Miscellaneous works:
Improv, Electronic, Theatre, Dance, Cross-cultural...
Advent: Flocks by Night
Structured Improvisation, Unspecified Instrumentation. 2016
This piece was premiered by the Belhaven Composers Forum, and consists of a series of chords and a set of performance instructions.
Ecclesiastes: musical design and collaborative improvisation for a theatre piece
Oboe, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano. 2008.
The Belhaven Composers Forum worked with director Joseph Frost on a devised-theatre production based on Daniel Fredericks' translation of the book of Ecclesiastes. The process involved developing musical ideas and structuring cues in conjunction with actors, who developed script, staging, and action using a system of improvisation.
Unseen
Collaborative improvisation with dancers and instrumentalists. 2007.
Co-designed by choreographer Krista Bower. Composers and dancers improvised as a group and in pairs throughout this work. The title is based on I Corinthians 4:16-18.
Dumbing Down: The Unquestioned Answer
Prerecorded electronics. 1995.
A brief reflection on limited evidence for the state of American education and cultural norms, starkly different from Ives' musical essay.
Lament for a Hollow Shell
violin, brake drums (5), Balinese gamelan. 1994.
A reflection on beachcombing, with an extensive opening violin solo. Composed for the Pacific Rim Gamelan and performed at the 1995 SCI national conference, with the composer playing the brake drums.
Prerecorded electronics. 1993.
This study in irregular rhythmic patterns and tempo canon features the sampled sound of "sheep toes", or Chajchas, processed to resemble the sound of submerged pebbles.
Leviathan
Harpsichord, brake drums, Balinese gamelan. 1993.
The harpsichord's 12-tone line float through the gamelan's sparse bell sounds to portray a mysterious underwater menace. Composed for the Pacific Rim Gamelan.
Layers and Modulations
Balinese gamelan, Tibetan prayer bells, brake drums. 1991.
This two-movement etude explores minimalist-like development and metric modulation in the context of a (mostly) non-western ensemble. Composed for the Pacific Rim Gamelan.
Repose
Prerecorded electronics, actor with pillow and sleeping bag. 1991.
This piece begins with an original lullaby, drifts off to sleep, and journeys through a series of dreams, finally reaching peaceful rest. Subtle antics with the sleeping bag provide visual commentary when the piece is presented live.
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