Just a composer - Kaija Saariaho
[A.F.] “Saariaho’s fascination with sampling instrumental sonorities, analysing them and extracting or modifying timbral elements has become a feature of her work. In Lichtbogen (1085-86; for nine instruments and live electronics) she experimented with analyses of string timbres produced by varying intensities of bowing, something which she first tried out in her work for orchestra and tape Verblendungen (1982-84).” p. 46
[K.S.] “It’s always these sounds which are related to the string-playing techniques I like, which is to do with bow pressure, going from a very clear, harmonic sound to an extreme amount of pressure with a lot of noise. I record this and analyse little windows producing different results with the harmonics and their amplitudes. After that I proceed very intuitively — I just synthesise the sounds that I like and start building harmonics on them.” p. 46-47
[A.F.] “What this enables Saariaho to constructing is a musical work which, in the most fundamental sense, aligns timbre and texture with harmony, colour with pitch. She points out that it also giver her ‘some reasonable way to use microtonality — it’s such a vast field that you must find a limiting factor.’ “ p. 47
[K.S.] “I have a tendency to work on small details which gives the impression of nice colours and detracts from the structure. If people perceve only the surface, they cannot penetrate further into the music.” p. 47
[K.S.] “I live and I hear and I see what’s around me, and then everything must be filtered through me.” p. 48 (Absorbing, engaging and speculating with something else).
[A.F.] “Does this mean that she is unaware of having a style?”
[K.S.] “What is style? It is a collection of bad habits? Sometimes I ask myself — because I love certain instruments and playing techniques — are they still the same for me or have they become merely mannerisms? Should I force myself to do something new?” p. 48