A new multi-media work by Daniel Figgis will be performed in Marlay Park, Dublin on 27 November 2011

Described by Figgis as an “auto-recomposition”, THE BATTLE oF SPEEDS explores the composer’s fascination with recording and playback media and an analysis of how they have traditionally determined form, content and presentation of new music.

The new family-friendly show consists of six new short fantasy movies, each with a separate original orchestral soundtrack composed by Figgis. The six movies will play concurrently on all available surfaces in the Orangery at the same time, with the aim of creating an immersive, multi-sensory experience for the listener.

The show will be presented in the Orangery in Marlay Park’s Regency Garden (behind the coffee shop) over a six hour period between 10am and 4pm on Sunday, 27 November. Viewers will be free to come and go as they wish over that time period.

Daniel Figgis’ THE BATTLE oF SPEEDS is supported by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office.

Family tickets cost €5 and are available from www.tickets.ie.

Further information: www.danielfiggis.com

Daniel Figgis gave a short e-mail interview to CMC’s Director, Evonne Ferguson, about the show. Here’s a short version of the interview. Download the full transcript of the interview as a PDF.

Evonne Ferguson [EF]: What is the THE BATTLE oF SPEEDS?

Daniel Figgis: THE BATTLE oF SPEEDS explores how musical content is always informed both by recording technology and playback media. The work consists of six recompositions soundtracking short fantasy movies shot in Marlay Park boathouse. The movies will play concurrently on the walls, floor and ceiling of the Orangery in Marlay Park.

EF: Why are you so intrigued by the battle of speeds? Is it a battle?

DF: No. The original T.B.O.S. legal case sparked an unrelated notion. This show was envisaged as an “auto-recomposition” project. As recomposers of my work go, I’m a shoo-in.

EF: What exactly is recomposition?

DF: Spitroast Records’ album When It’s Ajar: the music of Daniel Figgis? marked the inception of the recomposition concept. I was strongly averse to the standard remix and I wished, out of respect for the composers concerned, to avoid the standard compilation album mismatch. I decided that the pieces should be based exclusively on recordings I had made. These became the available lexicon for the commissioned composers.

EF: Does the space inspire the work?

DF: My love affair with the Marlay Park boathouse and Orangery largely determined the visual content and generated a bucolic musical response.

EF: Do you get frustrated that these large scale multi media works which you spend months working on are over within the space of a few hours?

DF: Yes, it can be frustrating but that comes with the territory. You’re working with/in a landscape and, in every sense, the seasons change.

EF: Is that the attraction and you then move on?

DF: One moves on very quickly. In this case, onto a major new commission for Crash Ensemble. If an artist is to some extent an inventor, then I am, with TBOS, truly enjoying my Caractacus Potts moment!