VOM RAUSCH (2015-2016)

VOM RAUSCH IM SCHWARM

About the piece

In this work, I conceive the ensemble as a self-organising community. The conductor is replaced by a timeline display on a screen/i-phones – although, of course, a conductor could indicate the necessary timing-signals as well. I  leave this open to the ensemble, some ensembles feel more comfortable with conduction instead of looking at screens. Towards the end of the piece, the performers also whisper and murmur words; for some words they have to organise themselves into pairs/groups.

Several version exist of this piece. I often revise pieces, and rearrange them for specific occasions. In this case, the versions differ slightly in length, also the number of musicians chnages, and some versions have a fixed media track added to the ensemble. The piece was first written for the ensemble Reconsil (Version I) with a wind machine added. The second Version II was arranged for the ensemble Schallfeld, an electronic track was added and the wind machine was left out. Version II.av has a video plus electronics, it was also written for ensemble Schallfeld. Version III was written for a larger ensemble and premiered by the Kontrapunkte, Vienna, without any electronics, but with wind machine.

The title is almost impossible to translate. I love the German word RAUSCH – it can be translated as intoxication (as from wine, or dance, whatsoever) as well as noise (like from water or wind). An interesting collection of meanings, and much more poetic and open than intoxication.

I draw on cultural-theorist Byung-Chul Han’s writings in my title. Han mentions noise and swarming in the context of the digital world, referring to emotional upheavals in social media. This relates to the structure/material of the composition.

Text and video are by myself. The text is the same for all versions. The video can be watched under https://piapalme.at/works/vom-rausch-ii_audiovisual/

Text excerpt (from the score for the performers)