An elderly woman flicks the switch on a silver box. Inside a glass container a yellow light turns on and low electric hum begins to sound. She blinks. With her bandaged hand on a wooden handle, she slides some kind of sheet of paper, with metallic stubs, through the hanging strips of a mysterious machine. An orchestral chord from an onstage ensemble pierces through the quiet moment.The interplay, from a piece entitled “Up Close,” of filmic imagery and composition, is typical of the work of Dutch composer Michel van der Aa. One recent evening, we Skyped about the dangers of the concrete, the financial risks of innovation, and what to do with a one-star review.
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