Michel van der Aa / Works / 

Auburn

Menu button

Newsletter


Dark Light

Auburn is an early work in which Van der Aa tried to feature the guitar’s intimate character as well as its rougher side. The title ‘Auburn’ (reddish brown) stands for the extreme and the traditional aspects of the instrument respectively. The contrast is excellently realized, partly with the help of the electronic component, which again derives its sounds from the instrument itself. The work has a rhapsodic beginning, with broken chords and ostinato patterns. Here as before Van der Aa shows his skill in building a fascinating discourse from the simplest material. Almost unnoticed the sound track creeps in. Its long-drawn strips of sound strips gain

prominence, until after five minutes a spectacular lurch brings change. Next comes a motoric section in which the guitarist works like a percussion player to keep up with the relentless pace of the electronic rhythm box. In the epilogue the guitar resumes its sweet, melodious role, but the electronic backdrop – a synthetic mixture of bowed strings, adds a touch of the surreal.

Auburn is written for amplified, classical guitar. It is however possible to perform the piece on a electric or semi-accoustic guitar as well.

Reviews

Colorful Auburn

“The colorful Auburn of Michel van der Aa – a very good work that showed the talent of someone that can stir up a lot without loosing track”
— Jaqueline Oskamp, Volkskrant 1994

Instrumentation

for guitar and soundtrack
1994

Guitar (classical or electric)
Soundtrack (from CD)

Details

Duration

10′

First performance

18 July 1994
Schouwburg Odeon, Zwolle, Netherlands

Commissioned by

Publisher

Donemus

Performances

Last performance


15 April 2020

Auburn

Sjors van der Mark, guitar

20.30 hrs, De Link in Het Cenakel, Tilburg, Netherlands

All performances of Auburn

Listen

Reinhold Westerheide, guitar
2 min. excerpt