Linear A is a electro-acoustic compositon by Peter Grenader featuring Katherine Redlus on harp and Jennifer Irvine on cello. Originally slated as a soundmass piece and as such marketably different from the balance of the zZyzx material, in time it turned into something else, something more developed and exists in its final form in three parts in standard ABA form. It was part of the second phase of zZyzx pieces originally rehearsed in April of 2017 and premiered at Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts in Los Angeles that May with Katherine Redlus as the sole instrumentalist. It received it's second performance at Bobby Furst's FURSTWURLD in 2017 with Jennifer Irvine as the solo instrumentalist. It exists on this recording with both Katherine and Jennifer.
Linear A was the first Minoan script of Crete and among the world's first symbolic languages - dated from 2500 to 1400 B.C. A later dialect Linear B has been decoded and includes the first known fragments of Ancient Greek. Linear A however is built upon the Minoan language which remains undeciphered. The literal representation of the title can be found in programatic context through the use of an electronic timbre in part 2 derivative of a Lyra (ancient Greek Harp) and within the first two gestures of the piece by a watery/fluid timbre which pans first L to R, then R to L to represent language which travelled back and forth across great distances of the Aegean Sea between the Minoans (Crete) and Hittites (Turkey).
Technical Notes:
The electronic parts from the A and A prime sections were realized by Peter Grenader using an analog/digital hybrid modular synthesizer. which were blurred using digital computer effects while the B section electronics feature both Jill Fraser and Peter Grenader. A written score was utilized for the A and A prime cello part. The B section cello part was improvised by Jennifer Irvine on electric cello. Katherine Redlus played an electric harp
credits
from The zZyzx Society,
released March 30, 2018
Peter Grenader, composer
featuring Katherine Redlus (harp) and Jennifer Irvine (cello)
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