Mare Serenitatis

24'58" (2000)

‘Mare Serenitatis’ means ‘Sea of Clarity’. The piece may perhaps be described as an ‘acoustic sculpture’. In simple gestural movements a network of sound textures develops, reaching increasing stages of refinement and complexity. Along with various synthesized sounds, the material for 'Mare Serenitatis' also consists of two types of concrete sounds that happen to be used quite regularly in electronic music: birdsong and thunder. 'Mare Serenitatis' however, does not deal with any literal image of birds ans thunderstorms. The natural sounds were used purely because of their sonic complexity and thus their potential to be moulded in many different ways. The bird and thunder sounds were processed by computer and, in interaction with the different synthesized sounds, they were transformed into very lively yet very abstract sound textures. In this way also, the fast and abrupt dynamic of the original bird and thunder sounds was changed into very ‘serene’ movements and rich resonances. Even though 'Mare Serenitatis' clearly consists of three main parts, the piece in fact proceeds in one single flowing movement. The gestural movement of the piece is characterized by processes such as expansion and condensation, melting and solidification, and ascending and descending. Mare Serenitatis was composed in 2000 in the composer’s studio.