Corn d'or

This music was born from perceptions received on different planes or levels, almost simultaneously.
From a visual image of Istanbul, the estuary of the Golden Horn separates and unites the southern and northern parts of the city, while the Strait of Bosporus separates and unites the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. 
Based on a symbol such as the golden horn, which in Egyptian and Chinese culture is the symbol of abundance and fertility from which diversity is born.
Rooted in an interpretation of the quantum theory that I see not only as a calculation system but also as a metaphor.
The work comprises quick, compressed sounds whose density means they can be listened to en masse, trying to recall the “white sound” of the sound of the sea, where all the frequencies are perceived simultaneously, and different pressures of the fingerboards on the strings produces the sound factor, while at the same time the timbre of the clarinet – an instrument with a large number of harmonics – you can hear numerous frequencies and a vibrant, moving mass of sound. 
In the slow moments the mass deflates and softens, the sound expands and separates, breaking off in the form of phrases, or isolated sounds, with different properties, directions and levels. 
With Corn d’or (The Golden Horn), I wanted to create the music that makes the sound, rather than make music with sounds.
I have tried to seek the expressiveness in the sound itself, expanding and compressing it, or even softening and entrapping it, in the same way that the trunk of a tree is compressed and its leaves are its expansion.
The piece was premiered by the Catalan Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Joan Pàmias and has been performed on numerous occasions.

Mercè Capdevila