In May, “The centennial season of the Miami (Ohio) University Symphony Orchestra was crowned by the world premiere of ‘Arcade Variations,’ a new composition by Per Bloland, assistant professor of music,” reads an unsigned Friday (7/7) article at the Miami University website. “The work was commissioned by Ricardo Averbach, director of orchestral studies, and drew on … video game soundtracks…. Before the concert, a list of all the video game themes used in the piece was published online, including links to recordings of each. During the performance, audience members attempted to pinpoint the entrance of each game theme, using a timer projected onto the wall as reference…. ‘The contest was not a straightforward exercise in recognition,’ said Bloland. ‘Many of the themes were fragmented, transposed or otherwise altered.’ … The first themes to appear in ‘Arcade Variations’ were from 1998-2001, while the last ones hailed from both 1980 and 2014. After the concert, Bloland created an annotated video of ‘Arcade Variations,’ combining a recording of the concert with images drawn from each of the games. The images are timed to appear and disappear in synchronicity with the presence of each theme.”
Posted July 10, 2017
