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SYNOPSIS:

SMAQRA is a piece about hidden meaning: behind words, behind written notes. By disguising the true timbre of the strings instruments and making them play like percussion or winds, SMAQRA creates a different soundworld where the reality of the sound is not as one might expect. This composition is performed on instruments which have both acoustic and electronic capabilities. A microphone is located under the bridge and a speaker in the body of the instrument enabling the musician to play acoustically and simultaneously producing electronic sounds through the speaker. In SMAQRA, the composer uses these instruments to capture the acoustic soundwhich is transformed in real time by a computer. This electronic sound is then mixed live with the acoustic sound of the String Quartet.