Sonda

Sonda for a speaking vibraphonist is a composition that explores the expressive interiority of the performer as they navigate various musical idioms, including classical music, funk, jazz, contemporary music, and solo vibraphone repertoire. Each genre imposes distinct technical and theatrical demands, requiring not only specialised playing techniques but also corresponding gestural and performative vocabularies.

The structure of Sonda draws inspiration from film editing, employing a nonlinear form where movements recur unpredictably in various forms. This discontinuous logic is supported by stylistic fragments that shift rapidly, heightening contrast and fragmentation as compositional tools.

The piece centres on the fragmentation of narrative and identity, presenting the performer as both observer and observed. Drawing from Roland Barthes’ concept of the Death of the Author, Sonda resists a singular interpretation and embraces performative ambiguity. Additionally, there is a connection to rhizomatic structures through the arbitrary order of the piece’s parts and the possibility of improvisation in some segments.

The piece was premiered at the Studio soudobé hudby concert held at JAMU on April 20, 2023.