Strings of thought

Jeffrey Krieger, e-cellist and specialist in the performance of ‘new music’, is principal cellist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Connecticut, USA. He is among the new generation of solo recitalists who incorporate the computer and video into performance. He will play in Mumbai later this month. Here, he talks to Archita Wagle about combining technology with music

You play cello and e-cello. What is the difference between the two?
If you amplify a cello, you will still hear the acoustic sound coming from the instrument itself. The e-cello is much like an electric guitar. There is virtually no sound until you amplify it. This means the sound can be completely transformed.

You are also known as a specialist in ‘new music’… 
New music can be influenced by the full range of musical styles, both past and present. This includes classical Indian music, as well as traditional western classical music and more popular styles such as rock, new age, improvisation and more. The music I perform is the result of collaborative efforts with living composers, so the music is usually inspired by our everyday lives.

What role does technology play in creating new music?
Technology helps to expand the possibilities of an instrument and of the performance itself. The e-cello and laptop computer are like an Indian instrument such as a sitar or sarangi. These Indian instruments have many sympathetic strings that need to be tuned in preparation for each performance.

I programme computer software in advance that instantaneously prepares the e-cello for each performance. The computer simplifies a very complicated performance. The computer file I open for each piece I play prepares the sound of the instrument. It also puts music on the computer screen for me to read. I have a pedal to change pages. I have another pedal that allows me to change the sound of the e-cello in real time. I have a very interactive computer setup.

Was the e-cello specially designed for you?
Yes. The instrument was handcrafted to my specifications by a craftsman, Tucker Barrett, from Vermont. I have been performing on it since 1989.

What music are you performing at this concert?
Since I am playing in the Bollywood capital, Mumbai, I will be performing a programme of unique works for e-cello, video and sound I call Videocello. Reliquary of Labour was commissioned for the opening of a new museum in Connecticut.

The video images, sounds and music composed were inspired by the workers and the building process. The piece is composed by Ken Steen and Gene Gort is the video artist. Garland, a very colourful video duet, gives the audience an idea of what an artist goes through in interpreting a musical work.

It is composed by Robert Carl and the video artist is Victor Velt.  Heal the Wounds of War is based on the atrocities of war, with graphic images taken from a television programme on Veterans Day. This piece was composed by Ken Steen and Lyn Harper is the video artist.

What has response to your concerts been?
The response has been fantastic,  especially in India, where I will play for a second time. My concert in Mumbai will be a very intriguing event!

American Centre Auditorium,  March 26, 6pm