da braccio (2000) - for viola d'amore and computer

Live recording of the world premier, performed by Garth Knox (viola d'amore) and Karlheinz Essl (live-electronics) at REM/SE Bludenz, Austria on 24 Nov 2000. "da braccio" not only offer the listener the fruit of a fully-seasoned interactive computer musician and composer, but also that of an enormously experienced instrumentalist, and in so doing opens up another can of worms in today's classical music world: do we allow (yes, this is really a question for some) improvisation, or is it a taboo, as it is for so many musical thinkers. Karlheinz Essl's and Garth Knox's interaction is finely conceived and beautifully executed, and whether it is improvised or not is simply not an issue: a point of interest, definitely, but no reason to reject or, even, embrace. (Michael Edwards, 2003) Info: http://www.essl.at/works/da_braccio.html