The Doppler effect describes the perceptible change in the frequency of a sound source depending on its relative movement toward or away from the observer. This project consciously draws on this physical foundation and makes it directly tangible through a composition. By means of specially designed rotating discs, which reach rotational speeds of up to 50 Hz, the instrument produces sonic variations that, at higher speeds, acoustically approximate the Doppler effect. In addition, slowly rotating discs inside the instrument lead to dynamic shifts of the individual played notes. These shifts result in a continuous alteration of their accentual weight: beats are perceived as either reinforced or weakened—not through direct intervention by the performer, but through the mechanical modulation inherent to the instrument itself.

 

Fabrizio di salvo: Instrument, Compositon

Brian Archinal: Performance

Thibault Brevet: Technical Realization

 

Composition commission and displayed at Klang Moor Schopfe 2025 (CH)

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