Unforeseen Events is the latest of many pieces David Behrman has made with computer software designed to interact in real time with a solo performer. The electronic timbres are intended to complement the sounds of Ben Neills instrument–the admirable and humorous mutantrumpet, with its three separately-mutable and playable bells. Refractive Light consists of three small pieces based on an interweaving and overlapping of simple phrases. A musician strikes pitches which trigger responses in the form of sustained tones which die out after a few seconds, deflecting the pitches of other on tones, so that harmonic changes occur at the on-and-off edges of overlappping layers. The idea can give rise to a kind of fanning or breathing rhythm which adapts itself to different styles of playing, and to a harmonic vocabulary with dozens or scores of family members.
