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Listening Report - Philip Glass: Icct Hedral

Philip Glass’s “Icct Hedral” was released in 1995 and is based on the original “Icct Hedral” by Aphex Twin. The only difference that can be seen is in the use of instruments: While Aphex Twin used regular instruments and electronic devices to create sounds, Philip Glass recreated the composition by using an orchestra. Throughout the composition, a dramatic and hectic undertone can be noticed.

The composition shows a clear pattern of sounds with small differences between each repetition. However, the differences increase with every repetition. Strings play the main tones at the beginning but begin to show a difference in the length of the parts played: The part in which one string is being played repetitiously is being repeated more often as the composition progresses. Instruments and a choir are also being added with each repetition of the pattern, causing every repetition to derive from the previous one more and more. However, every member of the orchestra is following the same pattern of the strings. By adding a flute-like sound, the sound of the strings is being pushed more into the background, while the other can be heard more clearly.

The second part of the composition shows a change of melody, but the same method of repeating the same pattern with small changes. The melody played was faster than the first melody, but still contained a dramatic undertone. Like the first part, the second part also started with strings playing the melody and including differences and additions the more the composition progresses. Towards the end of the second part, a switch to the melody of the first part can be noticed which included a build up and led to the third part.

Again, the third part followed a different pattern and contained other instruments, such as a trumpet and a triangle-like sound. While these instruments played a different pattern, the strings from the previous part continued to play the same pattern from the first start until the end of the composition.

In this composition, Glass and Aphex Twin focused on repetition and the small differences in every repetition that distinguishes them which causes the composition to fit perfectly into minimal music.
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