Contraforte Solo Lorelei Dowling: Nautilus (Liza Lim)

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My doctoral project, Developing the Contraforte for Twenty-first-century Ensemble Playing involves the contraforte and the creation of new musical compositions from myself and various composers. The contraforte is a relatively new instrument, developed in 2001 by the instrument maker Guntram Wolf. Like a contrabassoon, the contraforte is designed to have a more powerful, resonant sound and greater range. I collaborated with Liza Lim, Georges Aperghis, Georg Friedrich Haas, Leah Muir and Alberto Posadas, who contributed significantly to contemporary music. The six pieces highlight composers' sonic perceptions and thoughts when working with a new instrument and employ extended techniques and sounds derived from my study. The general goal is to move this instrument towards future explorations of more diverse and homogenous sounds in new music and therefore have a more prominent role in ensemble compositions.
Australian bassoonist Lorelei Dowling is a world-renowned contemporary specialist She has been a member of Klangforum Wien, Vienna, Austria for over two decades. Lorelei Dowling has given lecture recitals all over the world, most notably at the Manhattan School of Music, Moscow Conservatorium, Singapore University, Venice Conservatoire, Paris Conservatoire, Hong Kong bassoon society, Vietnam National Academy of Music, Royal Northern College of Music and for the International Double Reed Society in Ithaca, Wisconsin, Birmingham and Bangkok. In addition to being the first bassoonist to play the Jolivet Bassoon Concerto with a major Australian orchestra, she premiered Berio’s Sequenza XII for solo bassoon in Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong and Russia. She has premiered new bassoon solo works from Pierluigi Billone, George Aperghis, Georg Friederich Haas, Liza Lim, Alberto Posadas, Mark Andre and Johannes Maria Staud and as a soloist has recorded for Kairos, Wergo, ABC Classics, and TYX Art.
NAUTILUS for solo contraforte: Liza Lim
The new solo work for contraforte by Liza Lim, titled 'Nautilus', has a strong thematic connection to the mythological narrative of the 'Loreley'. This legend recounts the tale of a siren situated on a rock along the Rhine River who enticed unsuspecting sailors to their demise. 'Nautilus' originates from the Greek term 'nautilos', which translates to 'sailor'. Lim is renowned for her investigation of timbral and spatial elements within the realm of music, and this composition serves as an exemplary illustration of her artistic approach.
The following techniques are pinpointed in the Timestamps (highlight: ‘beating’ multiphonics):
contraforte overtone trilling, microtonality, lip glissando, various approaches to contraforte multiphonics, underblowing and embouchure manipulations stipulated by the composer:
‘beating’ multiphonics with overtones,(changing reed position) sculptured sound (with auxiliary keys for grace notes)’
‘sculpted multiphonic’
‘building up twisting texture of trills/overtones’
‘overtone sweep’: translated as playing the 6th partial of Bb1
0:00 Title page
0:05 Contraforte C2 overtone trilling(bar1)
0:34 Contraforte overtone trilling based on C#2 fundamental(bar4)
0:47 Contraforte D2 as the fundamental with overtone trilling(bar6-7)
0:54 Contraforte microtones: middle register(bar8)
0:58 Contraforte lip glissandi(bar8/9)
1:06 Contraforte mid-range quarter-tone melody(bar10)
1:19 Contraforte underblowing G#4/A4/F#4(bar12)
1:27 Contraforte E4-F+4 lip glissando(bar12)
1:39 Contraforte ‘overtone sweep’ from the 6th partial of Bb1(bar15)
1:56 Contraforte overtone trilling based on Bb1 fundamental(bar17)
2:18 Contraforte glissando Bb4-Ab4(bar20)
2:21 Contraforte glissando Bb4-Ab4-Bb4(bar21)
2:33 Contraforte quarter-tone meoldy(bar23)
2:50 Contraforte top register quarter-tone melody and glissandi(bar26)
3:08 Contraforte 3rd partial morphed into an overblown Bb1 fundamental chord(bar28)
3:19 Contraforte top register quarter-tone melody(bar29)
3:28 Contraforte underblowing A5(bar30)
3:52 Contraforte underblowing A5(bar34)
4:12 Contraforte D2 roll tone with 'sculptured sound'(bar37)
4:30 Contraforte overblown D1ending on the 5th partial(bar40)
4:36 Contraforte underblowing F#4(bar41)
4:44 Contraforte ‘sculpted multiphonic’ and overtone trilling on D2 fundamental(bar42)
5:16 Contraforte underblowing F#4+lip bends(bar47)
5:40 Contraforte bisbigliando tr. on B/Bb(bar50)
5:56 Contraforte overtone trilling on A1 fundamental(bar53)
6:07 Contraforte overblowing ‘x4 accel, building up twisting texture of trills/overtones’ on Bb1/B1/C2/C#2/D2(bar 54)
6:26 Contraforte underblowing F#4(bar59)
6:32 Contraforte ‘overtone sweep’ from the 6th partial of Bb(bar60)
6:43 Contraforte overtone tr. on A1 fundamental(bar62)