FRANCIS
ST-GERMAIN
ST-GERMAIN
44 TOUPIES
CHAMBER MUSIC | PREPARED PIANO & ELECTRONICS
Credits
Music composition - Francis St-Germain
Co-composition & Piano - Carolina Santiago Martínez
Lasting seven minutes, 44 toupies delves into the physical behavior of spinning tops. The motion of this toy serves as a quintessential example of rotational mechanics. Once set in motion, the top rotates around its vertical axis, generating a gyroscopic movement that stabilizes its orientation through the conservation of angular momentum. However, this motion is not entirely stable; the top oscillates and can deviate from its vertical axis. This oscillation is influenced by gravity and the frictional forces acting upon it. The two poles of the top—the base in contact with the ground and the uppermost tip—contribute to its complex motion. The base experiences friction, gradually slowing the rotation, while the upper tip maintains balance but is susceptible to disturbances that can induce nutation, a type of periodic vibration.
In 44 toupies, these mechanical principles are translated into music through phases of stability, instability, collision, and chaos. The rhythmic and melodic developments consist of evolving cyclic patterns layered to reflect the mathematical complexity inherent in the motion of spinning tops. The prepared piano and electronics each symbolize a spinning top, with their musical interactions mimicking the physical behaviors observed. The electroacoustic tape is crafted from a sound bank directly sourced from the prepared piano, extending the physical instrument into a meta-object that is both tangible and abstract, creating a multidimensional sonic experience.
Duration: 7 minutes
Music composition - Francis St-Germain
Co-composition & Piano - Carolina Santiago Martínez