ABSTRACT
The idea of chamber music as a kind of conversation, and a specifically anthropomorphic view of the instruments, was picked up by Michael Finnissy in public conversation following a performance of the set in November 2015. Finnissy's notation thus supplies indications of how the process of listening to one another might work in performance. Finnissy’s understanding that musical material exists in an individual’s private workspace as well as in public, and in their hands and body as well as in the sound that emanates is an important component of his anthropomorphic understanding of instruments. Finnissy’s interweaving of balance, texture, tempo, and instrumental roles in this response is typical of his thinking, but these pieces add an unusual element of complication. This chapter explores some of the ways in which ‘conversations’ are managed, not just compositionally, but also through the interactions suggested by the notational strategies, and in rehearsal.
