Bene ascolta chi la nota

For three choirs SATB, one choir SSAA, and live electronics
Performed by Princeton University Glee Club, Princeton University Chamber Choir, and Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk)
Theo Trevisan, Katie Chou, Shruti Venkat, Gabriel Crouch, conductors
February 26, 2022, Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, NJ

Text:
Inferno, Canto XVI line 99
by Dante Alighieri

"Bene ascolta chi la nota.”

'He listens well who takes in what he hears.”

Translation Copyright © Princeton Dante Project and Robert Hollander

Bene ascolta chi la nota is an exploration of combining polyphonic choral textures with electronic sampling, processing, and reverberation techniques in the acoustically rich space of the Princeton University Chapel. The text illustrates the changing relationship between the choirs and the electronics that is the primary progression of the piece. Initially, the choirs start out alternating in homophony, while the electronics are silent, and as the piece progresses, the choirs begin to break up, first into polyphony and then into aleatory as the electronics gradually become stronger and stronger while sampling the material of the choirs. By the end of the piece, the roles of the choirs and electronics have switched.

Special thanks to Jeff Snyder, Gabriel Crouch, Katie Chou, Shruti Venkat, Princeton Glee Club and Chamber Choir, Princeton Laptop Orchestra, Davis Polito, Andres Villalta, Justin Stanley, Codi Yhap, and the administration of the Princeton University Chapel for making this piece possible.