Operative MS39
Marimba and stereo electronics • 2024 • 5'
Artwork by Stephanie Swilley
Program Note
Operative MS39 was composed for percussionist Matt Andreini. The work began as an experiment with patterns, magic squares, and the pairing of generated musical materials with glitchy electronic sounds. These electronic sounds suggested images of robots, modems, wire-taps, and other imagined technologies. Over time, the piece began to tease at the idea of a robot spy, an operative from an intelligence agency’s robot division. The “MS39” in the title refers to the magic square manipulations used in the piece. The magic sum of the square used as source material is 39.
Operative MS39 continues my work in computer-assisted algorithmic composition and the use of simultaneous compositional methodologies within a single piece. The work makes use of several approaches, including isorhythm, rhythm fractioning after Schillinger, set theory, interval cycles, serial rotation processes, and sonification. The piece was composed with the aid of SuperCollider and Max.
Technical Note
Contact the composer for the Performance Max Patch.
Performance Information
- Premiere: Matt Andreini, marimba, ICF New Music Festival, October 11, 2025.
- UNI New Music Festival, Matt Andreini, marimba, October 30–31, 2025.
Recording