ShimSchlothauerWerderInderhees

EnsembleQ02

EDITIONWANDELWEISERRECORDS
EWR0104

KunsuShim(1958)
1. relations(1995) 05:06
frVioline,Viola,Violoncello

BurkhardSchlothauer(1957)
2. 64eventsfrFrauenstimme,Violine,Viola,Violoncello(1998) 27:40

KunsuShim(1958)
3. ChamberPieceNo.1(1994) 00:04
frStimme,Flte,Klarinette,Violine,Viola,Violoncello

ManfredWerder(1965)
4. bassfltebassklarinetteviolavioloncello1998 18:56

CarloInderhees(1955)
5. ZWEIUNDZWANZIGMINUTEN(Septett)1(199798) 22:00
frSingstimme,Flte,Klarinette,Gitarre,Violine,Viola,
Violoncello

EnsembleQ02
MyriamGraulus,(Bass)Flte:DirkDeScheemaeker,(Bass)Klarinette;LucyGrauman,Alt;
MichelineDumortier,Gitarre;SilviaTentoriMontalto,Violine;JuliaEckhardt,Viola;Gabriella
Strmpel,Violoncello

THEARCHITECTUREOFSILENCE
Thereisamusicinwhichthetimespaceofsoundandthetimespaceofsilenceappearintheirown
particularrealms.Evenwhenthesoundsareoftenverysoft,themusicisnotaboutfallingintosilence.
Thesoundsareclear,directandprecise.Becausetheyhaveleftmusicalrhetoricbehind,thereisinstead
asensitivityforthepresenceofsoundandforthephysicalityofsilence.Therearelongtimespansfor
thepresenceofsound,andlongtimespansfortheabsenceofsound.

Thetwotogetherformthetimepresentofthepiece.

Inthesilenceaspaceisopenedwhichcanonlybeopenedwiththedisappearanceofsound.Thesilence
whichisthenexperienced,derivesitspowerfromtheabsenceofthesoundswehavejustheard.Thus
thetimespaceofsilencecomesintobeing,andthencomesthephysicalityofsilence.

Permeability,whichisthephysicalityofsilenceitself,consistsoftheimpossibilityofsayinganything
aboutitscontent.Soundscanapproachthispermeability,butcannotachieveit.Soundsalwaysoccuras
aformationorashaping.Theycomeintobeingbycrossingaborderwhichdividesthemfromall
others.Atthisborder,everythingformedbecomesparticular.Silencedoesnotknowthisborder.There
isnosilencethroughproduction.Silenceisjustthere,wherenosoundis.

Therearepiecesinwhichtheabsenceofsoundhasbecomeafundamentalfeature.Thesilenceisnot
uninfluencedbythesoundswhichwerepreviouslyheard.Thesesoundsmakethesilencepossibleby
theirceasingandgiveitaglimmerofcontent.Asthespaceofsilencestretchesitselfout,thesounds
weakeninourmemory.Thusisthelongbreathbetweenthetimeofsoundandthespaceofsilence
created.

Silencecanalsobepresentinthesounds.Inordertohavesilenceinsounds,onemustletgoof
everythingwhichgetsinthewayofthissilence.Thissoundisasoundwithouttheideaofwhatitcan
meanorhowitshouldbeused.Thissoundachievesahintofpermeability,whichotherwisebelongs
onlytosilence.ThissoundistheDasein(beingthere)ofsound.Itspresenceandcharismamake
themselvesfeltinthecomposition.

Silencerequiresonedecision:soundornosound.Soundrequiresagreatmanymoredecisions.These
shapethesoundandgiveititsquality,feelinganditscontent.Thussilence,initscomprehensive,
monolithicpresencealwaysstandsasoneagainstaninfinitenumberofsoundsorsoundforms.Both
stamptimeandspace,inthattheycomeintoappearance,inanexistentialsense.Togetherthey
comprisetheentirecomplexityoflife.

(JrgFrey,1998/Translation:M.Pisaro)

Q02ANDWANDELWEISER
ThemusicofWandelweiserisavantgarde.Itis,inthetruestsenseoftheword,experimental:withouta
predictableoutcome.Itinvolvestheintegrationofsilence,which,sinceithardlyeveractuallyoccursin
aconcertsituation,cannotnotbecontrolledbythecomposer.
Wandelweisermusicdoesnottellthelistenerwhatheshouldhearorfeel.Themusicispractically
naked,thestructurequiteeasytohear:thereisnoattempttodisguiseit.
Apieceisoftennomorethanaframeforthatwhichcannotbeplannedforsilence.Traditionallyitis
silencewhichisaframefortone:herethenegativehasturnedpositive.
Theperformancespaceandthelistenerhaveanunusuallystronginfluenceonthereceptionand
creationofthepiece.
Wandelweiserisnotonlyakindofmusic,itisalsoanidea.
Theplayer'sexperienceisexceptionallyphysical.Becauseofthesparsenessofthesounds,everyaspect
oftheproduction,timingandstructureofeachtoneisgivenasignificance.Themusicianrequires
completeequilibrium,thehighestconcentrationandanearlyphilosophicalunderstandingofthe
background,structure,visionandmusicalidea.
ThemusicofWandelweiserisradicalandusuallyhasverylittleincommonwithconventionalnew
musicrepertoireorconcertsituations.Itdoesnotallowcompromise.Thereforeitisquiteimportantfor
theperformertocommunicateakindofsecuritytothelistenersothathecangetinvolvedinthepiece.
Forseveralyearsthismusichasbeenaunifyingthreadinourprograms.Ifthedifferencesbetweenone
pieceandanotherseemsmall,continuousinvolvementwiththemprovestobereinforcementratherthan
repetition.Justasimportantisthepersonalexchangeamongstthecomposers.Fromthebeginningit
appearedtousascrucialthatthecomposersweresocaring,andhadcometogethernotonly
professionallybutpersonallyaswell.Theydonotclosethemselvesoff,butinsteadcreateaframework
forexchange,inspirationandcriticisminaword:openness.

(JuliaEckhardt/Translation:MichaelPisaro)