the Negotiation of Context

“the Negotiation of Context” by the native Icelander David Brynjar Franzson is a set of three independent pieces. Each of the three pieces is assembled from various sounds and contexts on top of a topography of pre-existing programs: the history of the instruments, the social dynamics of the performers, and the means of presentation of the piece. The listener is presented with a series of materials that embody how performers play with or against each other.

In “the Negotiation of Context (A)” the piano and the pump organ explore the similarities and differences between each other and extend their own sounds into each other’s domain. The relationship between the performers is explored through mimicry and opposition – the performers both playing as one and playing alone.

“the Negotiation of Context (B)”expands the performance dynamic established in “the Negotiation of Context (A)”through the relationship of two pairs of identical instruments: two pianos and two modified bass drums. The performers mimic each other’s sounds and actions. This occurs both across instruments – fusing the sounds of the pianos with the sounds of the modified bass drums – as well as within instruments – fusing each of the two instrumental pairs into one.

In “the Negotiation of Context (C)”, one performer plays on the keyboard of the piano while a second performer touches the strings of the instrument with fingers and metal slides. The actions of one performer extend the actions of the other. Only through the combined actions of the two performers is a given sound produced.