Dissever is a large chamber work for flute, contrabass clarinet, soprano, tenor, and bass saxophone, horn, two percussionists, piano, and violin. Totaling twelve minutes in duration, the piece is structured as one continuous movement subdivided by exponentially weighted, randomly generated hit points. These macro- and micro-level hit points find their source in inharmonic spectrum-based spectral analysis.

Dissever is conceptually based around the sharp juxtaposition of extreme virtuosity and genuine vulnerability. Detailed interactions between performers emphasize this contrast and provide identifiable motivic agency to the resulting gestural, textural, and timbral material.

Form is dictated in Dissever through a series of time-based attack points generated by controlling the probability of attack onsets through varying exponential and logarithmic curves. The durations and rhythmic content derived from this process are used to inform large scale structure, dictating sectional proportions and facilitating sharp sectional cuts and non-linear foreshadowing by presenting glimpses of materials and interactions that will define future sections. The resulting durational contours also dictate micro- level accents within low level gestures as well as audible hit points.

Dissever's harmonic content is derived from inharmonic spectra analyzed from bowed metals, instrumental multiphonics, and from specifically crafted frequency modulation synthesis techniques with carefully selected carrier to modulator ratios. Overtones of artificial inharmonic series blend into one another to present an augmented sense of spectral voice leading, aiding in the formation of both harmonic and gesture-based sections. Gestures formed by replicating this movement through spectrums are used as melodic units working in counterpoint.

Extended techniques comprise much of the sound world within this piece and are specifically chosen based on the abilities of each performer. These techniques act to emphasize the vulnerable human flaws possible in each instrument and have a myriad of parameters that can be manipulated and combined to produce directional development. The ensemble for Dissever's premiere was comprised entirely of Bowling Green State University DMA in Contemporary Music students who also acted as core collaborators through the compositional process, for which I am extremely thankful.