V (May)

“Poème Symphonique, for 100 metronomes, was a reminder of Ligeti’s delight in the absurd.” (Guardian, 25 May 2018) Absurd, and yet György Ligeti was in protest. 100 pendulums V from one side to the other and back, clocking each their exact timing, until they run down and stop. Protest against "stubborn and intolerant" ideologies. Winston Churchill’s victory salute morphs into Ringo Starr's peace sign. 100 windscreen wipers at differing speeds pelt down the rainy freeway. “The piece has been recorded several times, but performed only occasionally due to the obvious difficulty of procuring such a large number of machines.” (Wikipedia)