icare
Icare joined dance, film and music. It was also a unique project because it brought professional and differently abled dancers together. I composed 24 short pieces ranging in duration from 20 sec to 2 min. They were scored for two female voices, viola and cello. Then collaboratively with the choreographer and filmmaker we joined 3 or 4 pieces for the duration of the whole film (9 min and still in process). For copyright reasons excerpts of the film cannot be showed.
las lineas de la mano
Las lineas de la mano is a project I did with an animator in which we both read a story by argentinian writer Julio Cortazar and it sort of became a soundscript for me and for him his visualscript. We actually never met and did our interpretations separately only later we put video and sound together. The result can be seen here:
https://vimeo.com/797999602
ecoutorium
A short yet productive project with Andrea Young to experiment and explore each other’s creative intuitions in an experiential and direct way (i.e. listening to each other and improvising) We used whatever sound sources were at hand. voice, echo machine, de tuned ukuleles and banjo, harmonica, beaters, hand drum, metal bowl and an old radio.
espace vide
The idea of this project was to offer a place and a time to experience the performance of newly created works that reflect upon sonic practices and creative processes inspired by a sense of openness to experimentation. Through a playful but resolute spirit of inquiry, espace vide promoted, through its three intimate small concerts, an attitude of attentive and unbiased listening. Perhaps one day I can re-launch this interesting project. The track above includes short excerpts of some of the music performed. In order: André Cormier – jamais oublié dans le calme, Todd Harrop – Stonepath Night, Mirko Sablich – des solitudes, Andrea Young – for Felix and Alfredo, Jonathan Marmor – Early Montreal, André Cormier – Bonsai, Mirko Sablich – Aufheben.
the birthday party
Music composed for Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. The play was presented by the Montreal Theater Company. I worked closely with the Director exploring different scenes and subjects. The Director was able to articulate in written form her perceptions of the scenes and from this I created several works (for piano, clarinet and cello) that were later adapted into the play at various points. Here is the teaser https://vimeo.com/79170486
revisions
Music composed for visual Artist Karen Zalamea. Her work “Revisions” was based on the ballet “The Bolt” by Dmitri Shostakovich. I was asked to create a work based particularly from the ouverture of the ballet. In the end I was never satisfied with the result. The recording here is from one of the two reworkings I did many years after. These reworked pieces are part now of my scrapbook group of pieces.
tomber sur la tête
This was a dance piece choregraphed by Réal Bossé and Audrey Bergeron who at the time where guest artists at Université de Montréal. I was invited as a Master student to compose 3 pieces for the second part of the show. The last piece of the show (Sway) is included in the track above. The three pieces I composed were entirely based on prime numbers which have become now my main tool and inspiration for my work.
miniature
Commision for a miniature composition by the Bozzini Quartet. Following the 7th anniversary of their emergent composer workshop ” The composer’s kitchen”, all past composers who attended the workshops over the past years were invited to compose a miniature. A concert and a recording followed. This was perhaps my first graphic score. From there on I slowly started exploring this way of communicating with performers. Little Hidden Time Trail was the result (track included)
21
This work was composed to celebrate the 21 years of existence of CoMA Bristol in England (Contemporary Music for All) I submitted this score for performance to the CoMA ensemble and they featured it in their 21st year anniversary concert. CoMA specializes in open scores played by musicians who do not specialize in contemporary music. The recording above exhibits much complexity derived from a rather simple graphic script. Short directives aided the musicians and director in making suitable decisions. However, nowadays I no longer include directives as I strive to make my open scores self explanatory (as in the scores of Uno).
sound drawings
These images possess a kind of musical identity, properties that somehow stay at each new mental reading. At the same time, their indeterminate and subjective nature allows them to be individual in their mental realization. Simple and brief, they are a kind of mental map or visual shorthand of my inner sounds, imagined gestures and possible forms. With a minimal amount of reasonable and consistent instructions they may travel the intentionality spectrum from being purely in the mind to an actual performance. In this way performers are invited to share in the creative process.
I submitted these drawings to the Closet Music project. They were eventually published in card form and a gallery exhibition followed.
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mirko sablich 