In 2008, my maternal grandfather, the Czech poet Jan Vladislav, passed away, leaving me his collection of family heirlooms. There were letters dating back one hundred years, cassette-tapes sent and received from my parents (who emigrated to Canada during the Cold War), including an extensive collection of photographs and films. This archive prompted me to gather as much of our family material – also from my father’s side – as possible. I began to envision a project that would use the collection in a musical performance. Sharp Splinter is this project: three works for instruments and electronics using my family’s letters, cassettes and films.
Please link to watch, listen and find more specific documentation for each work.
AHOJ AHOJ for piano & fixed media 14’
LOVE SONG FOR MAD for violin & electronics 20’
1. it’s complicated
2. seemingly romantic
3. has its moments, but…
4. i’d have a quarrel with the world
MALY VELKY SVET for piano & electronics 30’
1. TWINKLE & LOOP
2. FATE
3. KNOCKING
4. NIGHT TIME
5. NOURISH
6. THE PANTHER
Each work was written collaboratively with the performers – Luciane Cardassi, Rosabel Choi, Katherine Dowling and Andréa Tyniec. Their specific way of performing became a determining factor in the development of the piece, and in that sense, these pieces are intimate dialogues between myself and each of these musicians specifically. Each piece also uses the mechanical sound of a machine that enabled this archive to be created: the cassette deck, the typewriter, and the film projector.