The melodic material for the composition Scholium Secundum comes from cantus firmi based on Torah cantillation melodies from Spinoza's own Portuguese Synagogue and Portuguese plainchant from the time of the Jewish expulsion from Portugal.
Compositional Technique
The string instruments in Dániel Péter Biró's Ethica cycle create space through fluttering and floating sounds, using high-pitched trills, tremolos, and harmonics.
Compositional Technique
Dániel Péter Biró's music often lingers on a single note, referencing austere Torah cantillation and Gregorian recitation traditions.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Dániel Péter Biró's compositions from his Ethica cycle feature a great deal of whispering, which plays a central role in his work.
Performer Biography
The SCHOLA HEIDELBERG, founded by Walter Nußbaum, consists of virtuoso vocalists skilled in various styles and vocal techniques, including microtonal intonation and vocal noises.
Composition History
The composition Scholium Secundum translates Baruch Spinoza's philosophical ideas about cognition into musical material and form, using spoken, sung, and instrumental forces.
Composer Biography
Dániel Péter Biró researched Hungarian folk music, and Jewish and Islamic recitation practices in Israel and the Netherlands, which is reflected in his compositions.
