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Merijn Bisschops

Spheres

‘Spheres’ is a four-minute piece inspired by Peter Sloterdijk's Sphären. It starts with finger brushing over strings, evolving into distorted, weighted-down bubbles that collapse into chaotic flamenco, finally ending with a string ripped from the guitar.

Spheres is a piece that lasts about four minutes and somehow came into being while reading the hefty book Sphären by German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk. The hyper-complex, associative language made me reflect.
Spheres begins with the sound of fingers brushing over strings, interrupted by short impulses that pop up like bubbles, forming a melody before suddenly bursting. From that moment on, the sphere universe transforms drastically: strings become out of tune, bubbles are distorted and weighted down until they collapse into a messy flamenco of clattering strings. They continue to descend, until a string is completely torn from the guitar.

Premiere: Johannes Westendorp, June 6, 2004, Kasteel De Pinte (BE)
Video: Sjors van der Mark – acoustic guitar, Merijn Bisschops – composition & video