Clare Wheeler - violin Jon Opstad - piano, prepared piano, kalimba, klangauge, ARP Axxe synthesizer, samples, electronics Recorded November 2013 to February 2014 at Jon's Studio Produced, engineered and mixed by Jon Opstad A short essay on the music for IGNIS by Jon Opstad (from the original theatre programme): The music for Ignis first developed from a series of conversations that Hubert and I had regarding the concepts for the work. With the idea of ‘fire’ as our starting point we discussed many aspects of this and how they could relate to the music. Several avenues were explored in developing a cohesive concept for the music for the overall piece. One of the key ideas discussed was of ‘texture’ in the music, with reference to particular photographs that Hubert found for inspiration, including of burnt-out materials. Translating this concept into musical terms led to experiments with sounds that had a rough, unfinished quality and various layers of resonance and detail, rather than more traditional, clean, refined musical tones. A particular turning point was when I began experimenting with prepared piano, first taking inspiration from the performance instructions at the front of the score for Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa, in which screws placed between two of the three strings for each note produce resonant, atmospheric bell-like tones. With different sizes and placement of screw producing different pitches and tones this proved fruitful in providing a key recurring element for the musical score. Further experiments in preparing the piano strings with blu tack, pieces of wood, cufflinks and strips of felt expanded the palette of sounds available, all with a strong sense of ‘texture’. Experimenting with microphone positions and audio processing allowed me to create different perspectives on these sounds. A further turning point was when I began writing for violin in the music (performed by Clare Wheeler), providing a certain emotional quality that was not otherwise present. Again the ideas of texture and different perspectives in the approach were key. I experimented with various other instruments in my home studio and those that made it into the finished music include two different kalimbas (African thumb pianos), and a Klangauge (tuned metal percussion instrument). Tying all the music together are the electronic elements. Keeping the idea of ‘texture’ in mind that is fundamental to the music as a whole I wanted to use manipulated ‘real’ sounds in the electronics (including a recording of rainfall on my studio skylight), rather than the cleaner tones of traditional synthesizers. Rhythmic pulses were an idea that Hubert and I talked about and these were another element provided by the electronics in the music. With these elements in place, the structure for the music took shape alongside the choreography and dramaturgy, which – as my first full-length work in contemporary dance – has been a very rewarding process.