Multichannel acousmatic pieces
- Paysages G (Paris 1981**)
Two types of structure based on the Pelog and Slendro scales are the starting point of the pitch-structure. Starting from these scales of Javanese music two transformation processes were calculated by computer.
One of them is associated with the frequency compression (a ‚vertical‘ compression in the spectral space) of the original-gestalt, and the other is based on the duration compression (a ‚horizontal‘ compression in the spectral space).
This piece is a synthetic Gamelan and can be understood as a cultural bridge between Asia and Europa. This work was composed with a co-operation by CEMAMu Paris and the Electronic Studio of Musikhochschule Cologne, and was premiered during the concert series Musique électroqcoustique, the Forum Lucernaire Paris, 1983.
Paysages G_excerpt - Kyotobells (Kyoto 1994 **)
This piece was commissioned for the 1,200th anniversary of Kyoto, and was premiered at the International Concert Hall of Kyoto City in 1994. The sound material is based on four Kyoto bells (furin), which were sampled and modified using the Sound Designer and Turbosynth programs. Beginning with phrases of single ringing-bell that gradually becomes more dense, the structure reaches a continuous static character. Virtual space is an essential factor of this work, which is recorded on eight-channels. The space simulation was realized with GRM Tools.
The work was realized in the Electronic Studio of the Hochschule für Musik Dresden.
Kyotobells_excerpt - Paysages GO 818 (Weimar 1999 **)
The title Paysages (Landscapes) stands for imaginary sound sculptures. The syllable GO has several meanings: ‚go‘ for goal – have a ‚go’al in one´s mind-, ‚go‘ for God – achieve one´s objective, ‚go‘ for gong – achieve one´ s goal with help of the ‚go’ng.
The unique sound source of the piece is the gong of a Beijing-opera from which all sound-files were derived from. The most important factors for transformations are the following : pulsation, noise, sounds with a static character. This means the original sound was transformed from the viewpoint of spectrum and envelope. In this way a large area of associations with gamelan music has been produced. Furthermore, bells, flute-like sounds. This piece was premiered in Weimar 1999 during a DegeM Concert.
Paysageds GO_excerpt - Paysages lointains (IRCAM Paris 2001 **)
The central idea of this piece is movement. Granular movement distributed through 4 channels gives the impression of virtual space. Depending on the density of grains and their speed, the energy of movement produces violent or soft characters. The sound material is based on the Chinese cymbal (hit and rubbed) which has been transformed by granular synthesis. The movements in the virtual space were designed using the IRCAM software SPAT (Max / MSP). The title means „Landscape from distance“ in real and surreal senses. This piece was premiered at IRCAM 2001.
Paysages lointains_excerpt - Lumière cendrée (Ashen Light) (IMEB Bourges 2002 **)
The French title refers to a cosmic phenomenon; the reflection of the Earth by sunshine onto the moon viewed from the Earth. Generalized it, it implies one object reflecting onto another, helped by the third object – the sun – which is hidden in the background. The phrase „und die Sonne“ (and the sun) forms the only concrete text in this piece, and is sung by a boy.The sounds for this piece were produced by using a Tibetan singing bowl, and a stone sound sculpture produced by Elmar Daucher. The percussive components of them were set as counterpoint to the vocal elements (the chant of Tibetan monks and a treble boy´s voice of Dresden Kreuzchor). The Granular Synthesis in Max/ MSP was used for most of sonic transformations. This work was commissioned by IMEB Bourges and was premiered on 31 May 2002 at the opening concert of the festival Synthèse.
Lumière cendrée excerpt - Trance oder Lamento di Bali (ZKM Karlsruhe 2003 **)
The sound material for this composition is taken from the Gamelan ensemble of the Kraton (Sultan´ s Palace) in Jogjakarta which I recorded in October 2002. I chose three sound- examples of them. The first consists of full ensemble of metallophones (such
as gong, kempul, slenthem, gender, kenong, bonang, and saron) and kending, a drum. The other two contain smaller mixed ensembles; the metallophones joined by a bamboo flute and singers.
The compositional idea for this work is spatio-temporal transformations of sounds with continuity as the underlying characteristic. The repetitive character of the music is the result of algorithmic transformations where the elongation and shortening of the signal open up entirely new perspectives on the original sounds, with respect to how they are perceived by the listener. This work was premiered at ZKM Karlsruhe in 2003.
Trance or Lamento di Bali_excerpt - Dream of B (GRM Paris 2008**)
This piece was composed as a result of my research on the gamelan. The bridge between gamelan and acousmatic music is that the both of them are timbre- /sound-oriented. Some fragmental sounds recorded in Bali and Java were selected and processed by computer.
The Gong Agung has a principle function in gamelan music. This Gong is the central idea of the composition which unites all elements such as harmonicity, inharmonicity and noise. From these various characteristics the entire structure was developed.
This piece was commissioned by GRM and was created in June 2008 at the Radio France.
Dream of B_excerpt - huai bieh (Musiques & Recherches, Bruxelles 2014**)
Inspired by the KUN-Opera during my stay in Beijing in 2010, I composed this acousmatic work based on the citation of the Opera „Fare well my concubine.“ The transformation of this melody from the viewpoint of time, timbre and space was the central idea of this composition.
huai bieh_excerpt - Bells Evolution (Venice 2014 **)
Five Tube-Bells tuned as a pentatonic scale are the material-sounds. Using Evolution for this source audio-signal is the central idea of this composition. Evolution means as a technical term „continous spectral and energetic transformations“.
Bells_Evolution_excerpt - Paysages Y 757
The conception of this acousmatic composition is based on ’space and sound-movements in the space‘realized with Zirkonium software (ZKM). The hemispheric construction of the Klangdom is characterized by continuity of diffusing sounds and was related to the continuous frequence range (from a half tone to 10 octaves) of the musical structure.
Paysages Y 757 excerpt
** world premiere