Theme and Variations

For open instrumentation

In Theme and Variations, the musical discourse emerges as a consequence of the performative process. Someone improvises a short musical statement which is then continuously imitated by the different performers. These imitations, spontaneous in nature, are shaped by each performer’s individual perception of the initial statement. As this process is repeated, the idea continues to be transformed, always changing, always becoming.

Two objectives may be identified in the performance of this score: to explore the potential to generate new material from the same idea, and the creative process itself.