Kaleidoscope for Voice, Violin, Cello, and Piano

“Kaleidoscope” was written in 1972 in the form of piano trio, voice, and two slide projectors. The vocal material included words of colors and images as they appeared in the slides of the two slide projectors. This original version was premiered and repeated at the Art Gallery of the LSU Union on the series of “New Times,” an LSU organization of the composition area presenting new music and works of LSU composers. The piece was performed by the Festival Arts Trio composed of Dinos Constantinides, violin, Thaddeus Brys, cello, and Daniel Sher, piano. Soprano Constance Navratil participated in the presentation of this work several times in 1972.

The composer wrote: “For a long time I have had the desire to work with ‘multimedia’, and conceived the idea of writing this specific composition after studying some children’s paintings. These paintings were done entirely through instinct with very little regard for the traditional methods, which stem from education and experience. They gave me certain impressions, which I felt could be transformed into musical sounds. The slides were done from the paintings or a portion of them and give no clear images. They create certain color moods. The words of colors and certain vague images were transformed into two letter series (twenty-four letters of the alphabet) which themselves stand for certain pitches. Two letters, j and z, represent a slide-effect upwards and downwards respectively. These two series pervade the entire work.”

Performance Notes
“Kaleidoscope” can be performed without the slides, as a quartet for voice, violin, cello, and piano. In this case, any indication on the score concerning lights should be disregarded. The others indications concern the general mood of the piece and should be considered.

The original slides can be requested from the composer, who owns them. Each performer, including the two slide projector operators, should read from the full score. Therefore, six copies of the score are needed for a performance. When theater spotlights are employed, either a cue should be given to the spotlight operator, or a seventh score is needed for the operator.

Individual lights should be attached to the stands of the performers, so that they may be turned on and off quickly, according to the score directions. The positions of the performers and the two projector screens on the stage can vary from performance to performance. In general, theatrical effects such as colors of lights, dress of the performer, and some body movements can be experimented at will. “Kaleidoscope” could also be choreographed.

Any voice which meets the range requirements of the piece may be employed. Soprano voice, however, is preferred.