Simple-X

Programme notes

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Singapore's The Chamber Players, Robert Casteels and Seah Huan Yuh collaborated to create a new and truly original composition entitled Simple-X. The title combines the simplicity of a straightforward expression of joy with the complexity of musical layers. Casteels conceived the formal structure, composed the acoustic music and played the piano during the premiere. Seah designed the cover and graphics of the score, created the electro-acoustic sounds and played them during the premiere. The music unfolds in ten steps to reach a joyous conclusion. In true spirit of chamber music playing without a conductor, each player is of equal importance and musically interacts with each other. Furthermore, the process of creating music is rendered fun for the players, who play their instruments whilst triggering off additional sounds using iPads and who assume a variety of stage positions to form smaller units of independent chamber music playing. The use of iPads in concert was an innovative premiere for Singapore and the region. 

Handwritten sketches and drafts

to be found on page 210 of the red cover, A4 size, 385 pages, sketchbook 

Completion of the composition 

19-VIII-2010

Analysis

see Simple-X (2012) under Articles

Review 

“Dreamlike sounds conjured from iPads. Players conjured a fairyland melange of tingling tones. Fantastical and dreamlike, Simple-X generated a warm response from an audience more accustomed to Mozart and Haydn" 

Chang Tou Liang, Singapore