Amir Khalaf - Rib

Amir Khalaf - Rib

Rib, both performed and composed by Amir Khalaf, is another contemporary etude in sound, disguised as something larger. The quartet of flute/bass flute, clarinet, violin, and cello is intricately notated in a way which is unlikely to be achieved in live performance. Khalaf flawlessly melds sounds together in interesting ways, but there is little to engage with musically for the duration of the work besides timbre. Most significantly, the piece comes across as Khalaf creating sounds without being significantly skilled in any of the four instruments. 

The notation is well crafted and looks fancy, but musically asks for noises which are unpredictable at best and unrepeatable at worst. The score is basically a transcription of Khalaf's sounds and the piece would be more suited as a fixed media recording than a score, as it is impractical to successfully perform live without heavy alterations and guesswork.

Listen and watch the score follower video here.

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© 2022 Brutal New Music Reviews
originally written and published 22 December 2022

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