prime-temps: a 15th century English term for spring, derived from the Old French ‘prin tans’. samā: the Sanskrit word for summer (समा), literally “half year”, with connotations of the words ‘same’ and ‘equal’. fall: a well-known alternate word for autumn. vindo: the Gaulish word for ‘white’, and a possible early source for the word ‘winter’.
Four Seasons explores the long-term musical potential in simple algorithmic processes, within the context of various overlapping, self-similar ascents and descents.
prime-temps and fall are performed by all ten players synchronised in the usual way. samā and vindo are asynchronous. In samā, the players enter at intervals of roughly 48 seconds but thereafter play independently. The players reunite at the end, repeating their final bar until, at a signal, everyone stops together. In vindo, all players begin together and again play independently, finishing one after the other until only one player remains.
I. prime-temps
II. samā
III. fall
IV. vindo
Instrumentation
10 flutes 5 piccolos 5 alto flutes