"Pentacle!" by Samuel Pellman
Pentacle!
for alto saxophone
and electronic sounds
duration - 8' 14"
Click to hear a 92 second audio clip of a passage of electronic sounds: (
mp3 File, 1.5 MB)
PROGRAM NOTES
Pentacle! is one of a series of works that explore the
compositional possibilities arising from the juxtaposition of the
flexibility and immediacy of a live performer with the aloof and alien
nature of pre-recorded electroacoustic sounds. A related area of
exploration involves the dramatic implications of the placement and
apparent movement of sounds in the soundfield of the loudspeakers. From
this the following scenario emerges: the saxophonist innocently begins the
work, with a solo. After a short while, the speakers emit a series of
soft, short sounds among themselves, as if conspiring. Indeed, in the next
section the saxophonist is attacked from all sides, and is batted about as
if he or she were the metal ball in a pinball machine. The performer
survives this episode and is able to proceed with a brief cadenza. This is
interrupted, however, by a sudden, massive "attack" as the tape makes one
more effort to obliterate the performer. The saxophonist holds forth and
emerges triumphant, on an altissimo "a." The electroacoustic sounds are
thus forced to reach an accommodation with the performer, and the initial
repose of the piece is restored by the onset of the coda.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The electronic sounds in Pentacle! were produced on a Moog modular studio
analog synthesizer at the Cornell University Studio for Contemporary Music. These
electronic sounds were overdubbed and recorded on a four-track tape recorder.
For the early performances of this work, the electronic sounds were played through
a four-channel sound system in which the four speakers surrounded the saxophonist
onstage.
Due to the obsolescence of four-track analog tape equipment, it is no longer
feasible to present the electronic sounds from the original four-track tapes.
However, the sounds have been mixed to two channels and recorded on a compact
disc that can be played back in accompaniment to the performance of a live saxophonist.
Contact the composer for
a copy of the CD if you would like to perform this work.
Click here for a free download of the sheet music!
Also available: mp3 files of the accompanying segments of electronic sounds.
Biographical information about the composer can be found here.
Pentacle! is published by the Continental Music Press.
copyright 1978 Samuel Pellman. All Rights Reserved.
To obtain performance materials or for further information, contact: 
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