Mechanics

from ancient greek Μηχανική, the art of building a machine

Concert for CELLO and OBJECTS

MECHANICS is a concert for prepared cello that emerges from an ongoing exploration of objects, materials, and assemblies. It seeks to develop new extended techniques, experiment with creative processes, and discover unheard sounds and unexpected behaviors of the instrument.

The performance balances on the edge between the subjective and the objective, questioning the role of the composer/improviser. The musician’s free will is constantly countered by objective, mechanical elements—devoid of intention or imagination—that slip beyond his control and participate in the act of creation.

Mauro Basilio applies various unstable physical systems to his cello—vibrating, bouncing, and rotating objects that interfere with the musical gesture and introduce elements of chance.

Electric motors, pegs, sticks, and everyday items are repurposed as extensions of the instrument, turning it into a kind of automaton that produces a responsive soundscape to comply with.

Mauro Basilio allows the music to compose itself—ever-changing yet coherent. The musician is subject to external, neutral, and accidental forces as a cog within an autonomous machine.