"The shape of the sky cannot be explained as a physical phenomenon, but is the result of your own observation, an impression created inside your own head. The Celestial Vault is not a sculpture in the landscape, but a tool to look at light and colour”
James Turrell
Instrumentation: clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), double bass, accordion
Type: site specific, ensemble
Year: 2019
Premiere: Performed by But What About: Wilco Oomkes (Accordion), Julian Sarmiento (Double Bass), Vincent Martig (Clarinet), 4th May 2019 at James Turrell’s Celestial Vault, Kijkduin, the Netherlands
Duration: 34’
How many sides do you see is a site specific work for accordion, clarinet and double bass written for performance at James Turrell's Celestial Vault, Kijkduin.
The work is inspired by light, and uses the data from a daylight spectrum to create musical material. From this five movements are drawn out, representing five colours of the spectrum; Red, Orange, Yellow, Blue and Violet.
There is no full score for the work. For every movement, each instrument has its own specific position around the site ranging from most distant from the centre, to gathering together at the centre. In this way the movement of the performers represent the movement of the sun across the sky.
Special thanks to Stroom Den Haag and to the Creative Departments of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag for support.
Recording engineer: Alla Blehman