Marcos Balter - Ut

I'm fascinated by the codependency of seemingly disparate musical elements. Even when controlled, a simple physical gesture can create unexpected sonic events of great complexity, which vary according to the unique qualities of performers and their instruments. This unification of superficially polarized elements is the main idea behind Ut, which is dedicated to Nadia Sirota.

Depending on context, the Latin word "ut" can mean "how", "where", or "when". It is also the original solmization of the note later called "do", which happens to be the lowest open string of a viola. Ut comes from all of the above: a work centered on C ("do") examined through different temporal and/or physical aspects. The sounds throughout the piece are extremely delicate, often on the verge of unreliability. The slightest alteration of a simple physical gesture, such as bow placement for instance, can sharply change sound color and even rhythm. The beauty of such unreliability, in my opinion, is that each performance is unique, irreproducible, even though the controlling elements of the music always remain unaltered.
-Marcos Balter