Peano is based on the Peano Curve, the first space-filling curve discovered by Giuseppe Peano in 1890. A space-filling curve is a continuous line with two endpoints that travels through every possible point in a unit square. It's a strange and wonderful way to imagine weaving a 1-dimensional line into the tapestry of a 2-dimensional space.

This piece imagines the mapping of the Peano Curve onto the performance stage. As the Peano Curve gradually travels from one end-point to the other, the listener travels from the beginning of the piece to the end, and the performer travels from one corner of the stage to its opposite. Percussion instruments, record players, amplifiers, and lights are placed across the stage, revealing the progress of the performer, and highlighting moments of meditative reflection on the relationships between the visual and sonic textures of each implement.

It is my intention with this piece to impart the following lesson: Even the most simple concepts can reveal incredible complexity when expanded beyond their preconceived limitations.

Links: Score