Music for Wind

interactive installation

1991

Music for Wind is a computer-controlled composition. The music reacts to changes in wind speed and wind direction. A wind measurement device is connected to a computer, and the computer sends information about what sounds and notes to play to a synthesizer. The composer has chosen the elements and structure of the music, but the wind influences various aspects. The greater the wind speed is, the greater the activity and volume of the sounds. On a day with low wind and little variation the music will be rather static, while it will be more varied on days with more wind and greater variation. The piece – like the wind – is unpredictable, and there may be great differences in sound texture and structure at different times of the day. Wind direction effects how sounds move in space between the four speakers. The wind also influences the form of the piece. If the wind variation is small over a long period of time, the piece will progress more quickly from one section to the next.

Music for Wind was commissioned by the Lerchenborg Music Festival with support from the Danish Art Council and premiered at the Lerchenborg Palace Gardens with mobiles by Ib Geertsen and paper sculpture by Jane Balsgaard. Since the premiere in 1991, the installation has been presented in Denmark, Poland (ISCM 1992), Norway, USA (ICMC 92), Japan and France.

Music for Wind

Download programme note as PDF: Music for Wind