World premier of ‘Mercurial,’ a work by Eneko Vadillo composed with the use of computer programs

Vadillo has been working with saxophone soloists for years, so when Elisa got in touch with him, they decided to work together on this project. ‘Art has an architecture, but I’ve used resources that are not based on tradition. I’ve made the music of the past, but it’s innovative. The aim is to do something as important as a traditional concert, but using computers and the orchestra as a tapestry,’ the composer explains.

The composition of ‘Mercurial’ has been based on a process of musical research and experimentation aided by OpenMusic, a computer program that can create a work algorithmically. This software allows composers to carryout complex musical computation operations with notes and harmonic relations. In addition, to create this score Eneko Vadillo has used the latest tone manipulation techniques, using another program called Computer-Assisted Orchestration Orquidée, which recreates the individual sounds by mixing various instruments.

‘The music that I create is in danger of extinction. Today what you get for a commission or for the rights does not let you survive. People listen to 90-95% of authors who are dead and 5% to contemporary ones. The real percentage of research carried out in Spain is a pittance, that’s why this grant has been essential, because otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible,’ explains the composer.

Eneko Vadillo wants ‘Mercurial’ to be heard in other auditoriums after the world premiere, but he recognizes that in the current context this is very difficult. ‘It’s difficult because orchestras aren’t very interested in contemporary music. I’ll also try outside Spain,’ he concludes.