Polyphoné
Instrumentation:
Solo for voice messages (fixed audio), prop phones, and synced lights
Duration: 13’
Premiered by Celia Lopez May 2025 as part of Trafic Festival (Bern, Switzerland)
Fragmented and reconnected, Polyphoné is a mosaic not only of voices but of moments in time. Each voice message is fingerprinted with the space in which it took place; the clean acoustics of a parked car, the booming echo of an empty kitchen, the ever-present white noise of wind. These acoustics are also decorated with incidental noises – a car’s indicator, running water, clothes being ironed – details that hint at the scene we cannot see. It is, of course, the spoken words amongst these background colours that offer us the most compelling part of any voice message: a glimpse into the thoughts of a person; their life, their mood, their current happenings, their quirks and idiosyncrasies, their humour. Atomised, the inherent rhythm of each speech bubble comes to the fore.
Program notes:
