Enigma – 2003

Released in July of 2003, Enigma is Michael Rhoades’ fourth published under The Perception Factory label. The compositions were realized primarily utilizing Csound. Algorithmic Composition was accomplished utilizing Cmask a stochastic event generator for creating Csound scores.

Generally I prefer to let my compositions stand on their own, not wanting to explain my intentions, instead leaving it to the listener to perceive, each in his or her own way. That being said, I would like to comment on two of the compositions included in the Enigma CD.

First of all the title cut Enigma: I could not compose for quite a while after completing it because of an intense feeling of personal satisfaction. I felt as if I had been trying to compose it for many years. It is a symphonic piece in that it is comprised of four movements. Each movement has attributes one would find in a traditional symphonic work, for instance the first movement is a slow movement and the last is centered around a noticeable recapitulation.

Secondly, the last composition, Elongations, needs a brief explanation in the form of a hint. The first section is an exposition of all the samples and subsequent themes that will be elongated throughout the remaining three sections.