Performed by Mark Menzies (viola) with live electronics by Reuben de Lautour at the concert 4:7, "It's OK to Auscultate", University of Auckland Music Theatre, 28 May 2021.
Mark Menzies Photo: Supplied
In medicine, auscultation is the practice of listening to the sounds of a patient’s body in order to reach a diagnosis.
Christchurch composer Reuben de Lautour has used this idea as a metaphor for sonic exploration in a couple of pieces he’s written recently. In ‘An Auscultation of Reminiscence’ for viola and live electronics, he applies it to the act of remembering.
He writes: “Melodic fragments and explosive gestures performed on the viola are captured, frozen, morphed and modulated with live electronics, symbolising the way that memories change over time and acquire different meanings or contexts in response to new experiences.”
Recorded by RNZ Concert
Producer, engineer: Tim Dodd
