by Conrad Schnitzler (as of 27.9.06)
I not only give my
collector-friends the opportunity to
order an extraordinary collection,more
over to be creative
with the music.The solotracks in special make it possible
to combine new music.
For example:
Four friends come together with their
stereo machines and mix my solotracks completely
different from my way of
mixing.In doing this they create their own Con-Cert.
Solo voices, solo
tracks, individual voice. Soloist, individualist,
egotist, voice, note,
tone colour, pitch, volume, dynamics, rhythm,
variety, harmonics, freedom,
monochrome, expression. Tonal, atonal,
changeable, static, mobile, cloudy,
clear, dark, light, fast, complex,
transparent, fat, lean, abstract, informal,
experimental, conventional,
glassy, metallic, concrete, electric, calm,
agitated, flowing,
reclining, percussive, downward, upward, slow, brisk,
tormenting,
colourful, garrulous, indescribable.
The solo voice or solo track, also
known as individual voice, tends to
be rare in our music. In the Asian
world, on the other hand, it has
always been emancipated and
customary.
It has been granted its autonomy here at least since the advent of
concrete music. The individual melodic line in classical music is
completely subordinate to the ensemble and acts as a support for the
overall impression, generally leaving no impression of its own.
The
arrival of abstract music has given the individual voice its own
vocation as
noise, tone and sound.
It can be applied, for example, to stereoscopic sound,
or be used as an
acoustic event for the most diverse purposes. As an
individualist it can
orient its sound energy any which way. From noise to
the sweetest voice,
every possible and impossible articulation is feasible,
permitted and
desirable.
By superimposing several voices in an ensemble
or forming a sound
environment by mixing one can create new dimensions,
worlds of sound
where the individual voice is no longer subservient to
synchronization
or the conductor's baton. The result are sound combinations
which adhere
to no logic. The strength of the individual voice lies in its
freedom
vis-à-vis any sound.
From solo to mix, from melodic line to
ensemble. Accumulation of voices,
note clusters which are not opposed to one
other but are equal and
parallel in a free play of energy. The mix of solo
voices produces
concentrations of notes and noises, tangles, compressions,
sound
constellations, sound catastrophes, acoustic phenomena's.
The
individuality of each voice is absorbed into the chaos of the
overall sound,
is held there and blurred. Musical developments emerge
from the atmosphere
of the individual voices of the ensemble and its
variations. Sound sequences
spill forth, revealing tight and loose webs
of notes, changes in tempo,
varying expressions of volume and dynamics
and shifts in the direction of
the sound pattern. A sound chaos which
appears to change automatically
becomes perceptible. the indeterminate
starting order for the solo voices
create an open unfinished work,
containing a wealth of episodes with sound
sequences, environmental
associations, stylistic devices from other worlds
and interplay's of
nature and technology.
The characteristic of the solo
voice acoustic material determines the
structural components and gestures of
the sound situations throughout
the sound space. The solo voice sacrifices
its individualistic
expression and variety for the good of the ensemble and
becomes sound
among sounds.
4 CD-concert, on
mixer-amplifier-loudspeakers or 4 stereo systems with
CD-player and
loudspeakers.
Unlike the free concerts comprising several solo tracks, the
tracks used
here, also called voices, are designed, shaped, constructed and
composed
in relation to one another.
The individual tracks are created to
complement each other.
The articulation of sound in an era where new
technology allows for the
creation of an unlimited number of new sounds
calls for new recording
techniques. These are offered by tape, CD or
computer hard disks.
In the past I used conventional cassettes to create my
concerts, but now
the sounds are recorded on CD and can be used in the
concerts thanks to
their enhanced quality.
The individual tracks have
fixed starting points which can be adjusted
by a number of seconds and thus
produce different results. The volume of
the individual tracks can be
adapted to the acoustics of the location
and the listening experience will
vary for each location as a
consequence.
Autonomous constructions, compositions and reflections.
Constructions are to be seen in contrast to solo tracks and free and
concept concerts. Once recorded on tape or CD they cannot be altered. If
they are multi-track recordings on tape or computer-disk some slight
modifications may be made. In most cases these definitive compositions,
which I call my pieces, are recorded in one operation, like an
improvisation. This work method means there can be no interruption of
any kind. If the computer crashes or there is a power-cut, the piece
being worked on is destroyed and can rarely be reproduced. This
sketch-like approach means that in any recording impurities remain in
the construction/composition and can never be eliminated.
This method of
working with electric's and electronics contrasts sharply
with conventional
music and its use of resonance instruments. Electric's
and acoustics
converge in the loudspeaker. Both are subject to their own
laws and have
their own strengths but are nevertheless still often
compared with one
another. Very often to the detriment of both.
Electronics have become the
tools of our times and cannot be dissociated
from today's world of music and
sound. The contemporary composer can
perform his work himself and is no
longer dependent on costly performers
with their space requirements and
whims.
The end result of acoustic and electric music remains the same:
acoustics, vibrations and sound.
My work with the piano was initially a
product of my work with
electronic instruments with a keyboard . I very
consciously labelled
my first electric and electroacoustic works NON
KEYBORDelectronics
With the advent of synths and sequencers and their
keyboards with
the twelve-note division I was obliged to come to terms with
this
format. Some instruments offered the standard piano in their
very
diverse range of sounds . After a long period using the
electronic
piano sound simply as a frequency in the continuum of the overall
sound pattern I created my first piano solo pieces.
This shift to 88 keys
became a permanent feature. At first I just
used the piano as one of the
sound options on 64-key keyboard.
I then moved on to an electric piano with
88 keys. The fingering
dynamics were a new experience for me and the playing
sensation
was entirely different. Although this was still electric the
charac-
teristics of the piano were a constant source of inspiration.
The
next step which brought me closer to the desired sound was
the disk piano.
The method I use to compose / construct the long
series of solo piano pieces
is always different. Sometimes the
pieces are played and recorded live. They
are then edited ,trans-
posed and their tempo could be modified.At
other times the notes
and note sequences are first elaborated in the
computer, before
being shaken up and reoriented. Here again ,as with
electro-music,
the composer is his own performer.It is very easy to
simultaneous-
ly produce certain notes which would be impossible for a
single
pianist to play. Quite aside from the fact that these
unconventional
sounds will make almost every classical pianist throw up their
hands in horror.
Every new composition is the door to a new land.
Once you
begin playing with and on 88 keys you go on and on and on
and on and on and
on .
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Copyright © 2006-2013 Conrad Schnitzler All Rights Reserved.
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