Temporal recurrence in Andrew Lewis’s Penmon Point.

Abstract

In this chapter, Andrew Lewis’s acousmatic composition Penmon Point will be analysed by considering the recurrent phenomena evident within the work. This approach aims to investigate the various webs of sound-material correspondences that develop and inform the listening experience as the music unfolds. A concept of recurrence pertinent to acousmatic musical contexts is briefly outlined in terms of (i) correspondences amongst sounds, and (ii) the different timescales over which those corresponding sounds recur. The significant types of sound material occurring within Penmon Point are then introduced, followed by an examination of their various sound qualities and source bonding, and the temporal relationships that their recurrences create. This analysis will focus on recurrences operating over more global timescales, and a variety of these higher-level, structural relationships are introduced and illustrated. Contrasting spatial perspectives and ‘covert correspondences’ are shown to be significant means through which recurrent phenomena are manifest, whilst structural patterning is considered in terms of ‘sound-event chains’. The various observed aspects of recurrence are then contemplated with regard to what they bring to the interpretation of the work. In conclusion, the four-part question posed by this volume is addressed in relation to a recurrence-based analytical approach.