DAN VANHASSEL: Lush Intrinsic (2009)
Lush Intrinsic was commissioned by pianist Keith Kirchoff and composed in 2009. All of the electronic sounds are created using piano samples, most of which are captured live during the performance. The electronics are conceived as a means to extend and augment the piano's capabilities, at times creating dense polyrhythmic textures.
DAN VANHASSEL: Schizoid Devices (2018, 2020)
In Schizoid Devices, the saxophone quartet transforms into a demented machine, built from squeaks and pops and other percussive sounds. The piece begins with a noisy rhythmic pattern consisting of a fixed set of percussive sounds ranging from pure noise (breath sounds and consonants) to regular pitched notes. These colors engage in a dynamic interplay of interlocking hocket patterns, inspired by Balinese gamelan and heavy metal. The pitch and noise elements eventually join forces, playing short, repeating patterns in rhythmic unison, while a slow, sustained melody appears in the background. Schizoid Devices was commissioned by and is dedicated to the Keuris Quartet, and premiered at the Gaudeamus Festival.
DAN VANHASSEL: Fracture (2018)
Fracture was commissioned by and is dedicated to my brother, Joseph Van Hassel, and has been supported by a Live Arts Boston grant from the Boston Foundation. It is conceived as a two-part counterpoint between noise (rhythm) and pitch (melody). In it, the vibraphone's sonic palette is expanded by placing small percussion instruments directly on the instrument. The vibraphone notes form a calm, floating, underlying melody. In contrast, the percussive layer is sharp, rhythmic, and incisive—over time becoming ever more frenetic and anxious. These two layers weave in and out of each other, each developing in parallel with the other, yet never reaching any kind of synthesis or unity. The electronics act as an extension of both parts. The pitched part is extended through rhythmic loops, building from the pulsing of the vibraphone motor. The percussive notes are extended through an array of short samples taken from a variety of recordings, with each sample corresponding to a specific percussion pattern or rhythm.
DAN VANHASSEL: Camouflage (2013)
Composed for pianist Gloria Cheng, Camouflage is a work for piano with interactive live electronics. All of the electronics are built from sounds sampled in real-time from the piano. In the first section of the work, the computer responds to the sharp attacks of the piano with colorful rhythmic patterns built from the very sound that triggered the pattern. In this way, the music has a regular pulsing rhythm, without resorting to continuous sequenced patterns. The electronics act as an extension of the instrument, creating a hybrid entity in which both elements are necessary for the music to make sense. As the piece progresses, the underlying harmonic progression gradually becomes more prominent, enhanced by sustaining electronics, creating blurry impressionistic washes of color. As the piano moves increasingly towards an ecstatic outburst of romanticism, the electronics respond by becoming increasingly noisy and aggressive.
DAN VANHASSEL: UNIFY (2017)
UNIFY features four percussionists: two mallet instruments (marimba and vibraphone) and two non-pitched, “extended” drum sets. The piece is characterized by the interaction between pitch and noise, represented by these two groups. They begin by exactly mirroring each other, with every note in the melodic instruments corresponding to an instrument played by the non-pitched percussionists. Eventually, this absolute unity is disrupted as the two groups fall slightly out of sync, playing in a very close canon with each other. In the next section, the pitch and noise elements separate further, as the melodic instruments fall into a repeating pattern, accompanied by an irregular drum beat played in canon. For the remainder of the piece, the two sides drift in and out of unison, attempting but failing to regain the unity they had at the beginning, in the end falling further into their own separate camps.
