contents
1. listen
2. abstract
3. program notes
4. technical details
5. performances
listen
abstract
Platonic ID (2005-06; revised 2024) by Rozalie Hirs is inspired by Plato’s “world soul” in Timaeus, translated into a sonic world based on harmonic series of overtones 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 27. The piece explores overtone and undertone series, using different fundamentals. Hirs further develops these materials by incorporating harmonic relationships between the sounding and fingered pitches of harmonics (flageolets) on string instruments, which form the piece’s harmonies and chords. Commissioned by ASKO|Schönberg, it was premiered for flute, clarinet, piano, and string trio, later expanded into a version for two flutes, two clarinets, piano four hands, two violins, two violas, two cellos, and double bass. Platonic ID blends acoustic insights with Plato’s proportions and was part of Hirs’ doctoral dissertation at Columbia University, completed in 2007.
program notes
Platonic ID (2005-06; revised 2024) by Rozalie Hirs is inspired by Plato’s concept of the “world soul” as described in his Timaeus. Musically, the piece is constructed around harmonic series derived from the overtones 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 27, which form the core of the piece’s sonic world. The composition explores both overtone and undertone series, using various fundamentals as starting points.
Hirs further develops musical materials by building on her earlier explorations in article 4 [map butterfly] (2004), where she studied the relationship between the sounding and fingered pitches of harmonics (flageolets) on string instruments. In Platonic ID, these pairs of sounding and fingered harmonics are used to create the harmonies and chords that define the piece.
Commissioned by the ASKO|Schönberg Ensemble, Platonic ID premiered under the baton of Bas Wiegers during the Tijdgenoten Series at the Concertgebouw in 2005. Initially composed for flute, clarinet, piano, and string trio, the work was revised in 2006 to include a larger ensemble: two flutes, two clarinets, piano four hands, two violins, two violas, two cellos, and double bass. Hirs describes the work as a “calling card” marking her identity as a composer—an aural passport or ID card.
With Platonic ID, Hirs continues her exploration of the perception and transformation of harmonic sounds, blending insights from psychoacoustics with Plato’s numerical proportions. The piece reflects her deep interest in the intersection of art and science, demonstrating her ongoing fascination with the acoustic and aesthetic possibilities of sound. Platonic ID was also an integral part of her doctoral dissertation at Columbia University, completed in 2007.
biography
Rozalie Hirs (b. April 7, 1965, Gouda, Netherlands) is a Dutch composer and poet, whose distinctive blend of lyricism and experimental techniques spans vocal, orchestral, and electronic music. Her works, often combining traditional instruments with electronic sounds, have been commissioned and performed by leading ensembles, including the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, ASKO|Schönberg, Ensemble Klang, Musikfabrik, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Klangforum Wien. Hirs also regularly performs her own compositions for voice and electronics at international festivals.
Hirs holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Columbia University, where she studied as a Fulbright Fellow, and a Master of Music from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. In addition to her composition work, she has taught contemporary composition at institutions such as the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Her recordings include Platonic ID (2007) and Pulsars (2010), and her music scores are published by Deuss Music. Hirs’ music is marked by a thoughtful exploration of sound, form, and the intersection of art and science, drawing inspiration from psychoacoustics, acoustics, and mathematics. Through these elements, she develops her own unique sound language, creating a resonant aural world.
technical details
commission
platonic id for ensemble (2005, 2006 rev) by Rozalie Hirs was commissioned by A|S (formerly: Asko|Schönberg Ensemble), with financial support of the Netherlands Performing Arts Fund. With special thanks to Willem Hering, artistic director of the Asko and Schönberg Ensemble.
orchestration
piccolo
flute
clarinet
bass clarinet
piano 4-hands
2 violins
2 violas
2 cellos
double bass
(or with a string orchestra)
duration
18′ ca.
publisher
All of Rozalie Hirs‘ musical scores are published by Deuss Music.
dedication
platonic id for ensemble (2005, 2006 rev) is dedicated to the memory of Jonathan Kramer (1942-2004), professor of composition and music theory at Columbia University, New York.
performances
5 February 2016, CBSO Centre, Birmingham, England, UK – Birmingham Contemporary Music Group/BCMG, Richard Baker (conductor) – British premiere
5 September 2006, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Piet Heinkade 1, Amsterdam – Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Bas Wiegers (conductor)
19 March 2006, Rudolfinum (Dvořak hall), Alšovo nábřeží 79/12, Praag, Czech Republic – Prague Philharmonia, Michel Swierczewski (conductor) – Czech premiere
23 February 2005, Serie Tijdgenoten, Concertgebouw, Amsterdam – Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Bas Wiegers (conductor) – world premiere