Interdisciplinary collaborative opera for flautist and live electronics
Music and performance by
Daniel Blanco Albert
& Gavin Stewart
TRAPPIST-1 takes its name from the star at the centre of a recently discovered solar system 40 light-years from our sun and, through a series of 4 scenes explores Discovery, Understanding and Reaction.
The material for TRAPPIST-1 is drawn from a range of sources including astronomical data, project timelines, and personal accounts from collaborative partner, Amaury Triaud (Birmingham University).
The work has a spatial and performative aspect to it and places the audience in the centre of an 8-channel surround, enabling an accurate sonic recreation of a solar system in orbit.
Scene 1 - Planet Hunter
Scene 2 - Atacama
Scene 3 - Discovery
Scene 4 - Announcement
Opening two minutes of Scene 1, which sees the introduction of the star (a rumbling low D played on the contrabass flute by Carla Rees) and the planets (played by Gavin Stewart on C flute, Alto, Bass, and Piccolo).
This introduction to the piece is used to tune the audiences ear to the microtonal pitches assigned to each planet as a ratio of their distance from Trappist-1 before the performer walks to the stage and joins in the texture.
