Play/Space is a new work by Wilma Pistorius for panflutes and recorders. It explores the field between composition and improvisation, formal and informal. Where do they meet, and where does the distinction break down?

Mixing predetermined and improvised elements, the piece establishes a space for collaborative creation in which the music becomes an interaction, not only between the performers and the mind
of the composer, but also between the performers and the audience. Building on spontaneous reactions from musicians and listeners alike, the piece escapes from the page and become a conversation.

The piece will be different every time it’s played: the improvised parts will not only vary according to the musicians’ ideas and inspirations, but will also be influenced by the location and the audience. New creative decisions will need to be made for each performance, some of them in real time! This brings suprise and curiosity to the familiar experience of writing, performing, and hearing a piece of music.

By giving the musicians and the audience a degree of control over the piece, Pistorius aims to create an experience of music that is less formal, more human; less perfect, more free.