Sounds of Water, E. 1 - Alexandre Casaccia

E. 1 – SOUNDS OF WATER (2024) — 5′05″

Composed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music in Composition, Brescia Conservatory

Fixed media (acousmatic) · 5′05″ · Single-movement

Stereo (two channels)

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Programme note:

Sounds of Water is an acousmatic work offering a poetic warning against ocean destruction. Through a sonic counterpoint of water, plastic, and piano sounds, it explores the tension between nature and human impact.

Water, as lifeblood—pure, sustaining, vast—stands in contrast to the jarring presence of plastic, symbolizing ecological harm. The piano, central to the piece, serves both as a musical anchor and a study in acousmatic technique. Its sounds—prepared and unprepared, distorted and natural—span a wide emotional range. Early in the piece, dense, dissonant textures evoke the ocean’s depth and the threat of collapse, drawing inspiration from the micro-polyphony of Penderecki and Ligeti. Later, luminous arpeggios outline the harmonic series, offering a moment of reconciliation. As the work unfolds, the piano gradually asserts itself over the plastic disruptions, suggesting a shift from chaos toward possible harmony.

Eventually, Sounds of Water becomes an invitation to rethink our relationship with nature—a call to protect and cherish life’s fragile beauty before it is too late.

Composition: Brescia, 25–29 Feb 2024; completed 29 Feb 2024

Form/structure: single-movement

Medium: fixed media (acousmatic); stereo (2 channels)

Sound sources: PIANO (PREPARED & UNPREPARED); WATERFALLS (FIELD RECORDINGS); PLASTIC BOTTLE (MANIPULATIONS)

Publications:

– Casaccia, Alexandre. Sounds of Water, E. 1. Fixed-media recording. Self-published, 11 Nov 2025. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17581083; also uploaded to YouTube (06 Mar 2024)