Music / CHAMBER / Syntax Error
Syntax Error
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
In programming, a mistake in the syntax of a block of code, such as a rogue semicolon or missing parenthesis, can cause the entire program to fail, leading to the commonly seen error message: Syntax Error. While writing this piece, I thought about how composing music is similar to writing in a programming language. In the traditional context, our job is to create a clear set of instructions which will then be interpreted by performers. We learn to communicate as effectively as we can but things can get lost in translation. Sometimes, the best musical moments come as unintended consequences of the composer’s directions.
With this in mind, I tried to find beauty in the illogical and unbalanced. Syntax Error traverses a variety of musical contexts, occasionally stalling, coming to a complete stop, and then rebooting. Phrases are lopsided, the meter is constantly changing and harmonic shifts are sudden and unpredictable. Although I’ve taken a fairly unserious approach to musical syntax, intending for the piece to be playful on the whole, there are moments of darkness, seriousness and stillness. The language never quite settles, and that is the point.
So much of our understanding of music comes down to expectations being established and then met in predictably satisfying ways. I like the idea of introducing an expectation and then detouring into unanticipated territory through an abrupt non-sequitur. Constant curveballs can keep listeners guessing throughout a performance of a piece. Furthermore, if the ear has grown accustomed to persistent changes of direction, a sudden stasis can come as its own curious surprise. This piece is the latest in a series of chamber works that explore these ideas, along with Zero Sum Game and In Flow.
Syntax Error was composed for the Australia Ensemble as part of the 2023-24 Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship.