Contemporary Music Analysis and Speculation

Nuova Consonanza - NC Berlino 1969

The piece begins with about 3 sounds occurring concurrently. I can identify a guitar or similar string instrument distinctly. I also hear a wind instrument drone. As the piece progresses, I hear random noises in the background. These begin with an object sliding down a wire, creating a downward scale effect. High pitched piano that is low in intensity is heard.

Suddenly I hear a squeaky, high pitched sound that sounds like squeaking on glass with wet fingers. This is soon followed by clinging objects such as keys. It sounds as if they are made of plastic or wood. The squeaky sound continues and becomes more regular and frequent. Added to it is a sound similar to a xylophone. I hear objects being struck that produce different tones, medium in pitch.

The mood of the piece gradually changes into a darker aura. Deeper, lower pitched percussion begins to take over as the most-noticed sound in the piece. This low percussion gets louder and more frequent, leading into some high pitched sounds that resemble an object striking wooden planks.

Soon after, I begin to notice the sound of trumpets or some other brass instrument backed by low pitched percussion, such as a bass drum. The brass is joined by what sounds like a squeaky hinge for a short time. The metal-on-metal sound heard here is very distinct. These sounds gradually fade away as the piece becomes more silent. The instrumentation becomes more drone-like,