Larry Alan Smith: Una donna, un uomo ed alcune pecore (2017)
“A woman, a man and some sheep”
The premiere of this acousmatic work took place at Stanford University on April 20, 2018.
Program Notes by Larry Alan Smith
A “transumanza” (or transhumance in English) is the seasonal movement of animals between their winter and summer pastures/homes. In July 2017, a small group of us walked with sheep (MANY sheep!) high in the Italian Apennines. The history of the “transumanza” in the Abruzzo Region is rich, dating back centuries. Our path took us from the outskirts of Castel del Monte up through fairly rugged terrain to the Campo Imperatore. The setting was spectacular, and the sounds of the sheep were unforgettable. I knew that I would eventually write some music about the experience.
Because the initial objective of the day-long outing was simply a hike in the mountains, I did not come prepared to make field recordings. However, I was able to record videos along the way with my iPhone. The audio from these videos was eventually used to generate the source material for my four-movement acousmatic work. In addition to the sheep (and some “sheep bells”), you will hear the voices of a woman and a man. It was their vocal inflections that caught my attention . . . more than their actual words. The human sounds, when combined with the beautiful cacophony of my sheep soloists and chorus, enabled me to create a work that celebrates the history of Abruzzo and the wonders of Mother Nature. As our group of sheep, sheepdogs and people reached the summer pasture, a lamb was born! It was that kind of day!!
Larry Alan Smith 