Tilt

Duration:

5'

Tilt is a short study for bassoon that imagines shifting perspectives: the more we bend, the closer the ground appears, the more we tilt upward, the broader the perspective, and we might even appreciate the horizon in the distance. By slightly alternating basic fingerings for the bassoon, the sonic results are either subtle, microtonal deviations or suddenly dramatic, noisy multiphonics. These seemingly unpredictable sounds come from a single change in one keyhole – just as a small tilt of the head can be utterly inconsequential, or it can allow one to perceive something shocking or life-changing . The musical material of Tilt reflects this concept, full of distorted echoes that revolve restlessly around unwavering pillars of sound.

Tilt was written for the 200 PIECES project, in celebration of the Royal Academy of Music Bicentennial in 2022.