My interest in cinematic iconography and the aesthetic of terror and fear have resulted in many years of intensive research into the theories of culture and film concerning “horror”, including all its sub-genres: the grotesque from Japan and New Zealand, the roughly elegant from Spain, the spooky from Asia, giallo from Italy, new gore from France, splatter “Made in USA’, Hammer-movies from England, high gloss productions and underground amateur films; stories of the un-dead, psychopaths and cannibals. It was only a question of time until I would offer this genre a musical hommage. This was started in 2006 with “final girl”, a piece for bassoon which I composed for Robert Buschek and which deals with the archetypal figure of the last survivor of a splatter movie. The development of this character, who turns from victim to murderer - as well as the inherent sub-texts - have become the object of various gender and cultural theoretical essays. The project continued to develop – as horror does! – and grew into a network of relationships and images of cinematic systems. With the sequel “final girl – crucifixion” (for turntables) and “final girl – resurrection” (for three instrumentalists), both commissioned by Open Music Graz, the piece developed in 2008 into a trilogy, which was constructed according to the rules of horror dramaturgy. In the same year, a prequel – “final girl – the beginning” was premiered by tenor flautist Dorothee Oberlinger  on behalf of the “Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik”. In view of the New Zealand gore-grotesque “final girl – godzownzombie” for the sub-bass flute of Pia Palme and with “final girl – illinois” for electronic instruments, the series is about to make a volte-face in 2009 and 2010 with world premieres in Wellington/New Zealand and Chicago/Illinois.
 

Just now, when all splatter classics are being revived, “FINAL GIRL 2009” is about to appear. The piece is no current adaptation, no orchestration or “painting over” of the original. It is a remake. It creates the same effect with new methods, it re-writes the piece under new production conditions, albeit with a freshly awakened pleasure in the bizarre. (Jorge Sánchez-Chiong)