Virtutes Occultae (2017-2021)
Virtutues Occultae is an album in eighteen sections for six retuned pianos, each with a unique tuning in an extended 11-limit just intonation.
In writing this music I used a mixture of traditional composition methods of structuring the music with various harmonies and progressions along with more free writing, collage techniques, and algorithmic composition. The tuning of the virtual pianos extends Harry Partch’s conception of the over-tonality. This album also exists as a six-channel surround sound concert/installation format.
Leonardo Music Journal article on the role of cocreative compositing with music-generation software
Sound American Article on the roots of Virtutes Occultae in the tuning systems of Harry Partch
The concert version of Virtutes Occultae was commissioned by the Earl Brown Foundation for the Time:Spans festival in New York.
Filmed at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in August 2021
Performed by
Laura Barger
Julia Den Boer
Thomas Feng
Isabelle O'Connell
Cory Smythe
Ning Yu
Audio Recorded and Mixed by Caley Monahon-Ward
Albert Goold, Assistant Audio Engineer
Taylor Brook, Audio Editing
Victutes Occultae can be realized as a surround-sound installation with any number of speakers on a 94-minute loop.
The photo on the left shows the speaker placement used to diffuse Virtutes Occultae at the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch as part of Redshift’s Sonologues 2019.
The original version of Virtutes Occultae album was realized using physically-modeled digital pianos.
Composed, produced, and designed by Taylor Brook
Mastered by Christopher Botta
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.