SKU: HL.49033256

ISBN 9790001136525.

SKU: HL.49016219

ISBN 9790001146449. UPC: 884088202538. 9.0x12.0x0.195 inches.

The chiaroscuro-technique developed by painters of the Italian renaissance served to intensify contrasts and effects of optical depth. In Klar/Obskur, I tried to transfer the general idea of this technique on the rather unusual instrumentation of two double-reed woodwinds and piano. On the one hand, a clear, well articulated playing is characteristic for these instruments, on the other hand, they have an often underestimated potential of 'twilight': air-sounds and fragile, shady colours have a especially attractive when being produced by double-reed instruments (which are often, and superficially regarded as being less capable of differentiated sounds than flute or clarinet). The piano, too, has a broad bandwidth of possibilities between percussive and delicate playing to complement the woodwinds which, in return, can absorb and continue the fading piano sounds.The beginning introduces the two contrasting elements that form the basic material for the piece: a clear, sharp chord, followed by fragile, dim sounds. The changes between these elements as well as their combination and amalgamation produce an enormous spectrum of colours and gesture. After this 'motto-like' opening follow four quite clearly separated short sections, each of them being characterised by a well-defined texture: a partly almost imperceptible air-sound passage, a short sequence of microintervallic notes, a burst of virtuosity and a recourse to the fragile sounds of the beginning.The second, longer main part consists of three sections merging subtly into each other: a short unisono-passage, marked elastic [federnd], is being dissolved into its basic elements; from these remainders, a confrontation of low, 'arcane' bassoon and piano sounds and a strongly ornamented melodic line of the oboe emerges, leading to a short but powerful climax. The piece is concluded by an extended, relaxed epilogue, containing a short piano solo and a duet of oboe and bassoon and, finally, a quotation of the 'elastic' character of the middle section.Benjamin Schweitzer.

SKU: HL.49018091

ISBN 9790001170338. UPC: 884088520069. 9.0x12.0x0.115 inches.

The title hidden tracks is ambiguous. First of all, the piece is almost throughout imagined as 'multi-track', with layers (in the sense of sound tracks) that partly overlay each other, partly suddenly appear from the background. The composition deals with 'hidden' lines, sounds at the perception threshold, with side effects of the accordion sound which -observed, so to speak, under a compositional 'microscope' - develop a special allure: that is the vertical component. The title has also a horizontal meaning: a 'hidden track' is a piece on a record without a track number that is not mentioned on the cover either. In most cases, a 'hidden track' follows after a longer break after the (presumably) last piece on the record; often this track contains strange sounds, noise or other surprising elements. 'Hidden tracks' are surrounded by a nimbus of the mysterious and subversive. This effect is being used rather often throughout the piece: again and again, it seems to have ended but continues after a pause. The expectation of the listener and the attentiveness also for the tiniest events rises; the performance receives an almost scenic character. hidden tracks was partly composed in August 2008 during a stay at the Kunstlerhaus Lukas in Ahrenshoop at the shores of the Baltic Sea. The work was accompanied by many walks on the beach - again and again, I caught a sight on tracks in the sand that became overlaid by other tracks, wiped out by the wind and the waves... Benjamin Schweitzer.

SKU: HL.49046787

UPC: 842819110026. 9.0x12.0x0.079 inches.

SKU: HL.49019226

ISBN 9790001181396. UPC: 884088916503. 9.25x12.0x0.379 inches.

'Landscape With Deserted House' is a piece of a dark and very individual character, almost a 'gothic piece'. The topos of the deserted house comes from the literature of Victorian England, but also points toward the present time, especially toward Northern Europe where, after half a century of migration from the countryside, countless houses and estates are unoccupied and left to decay.It is especially the percussion part of 'Landscape With Deserted House', mainly played on simple everyday objects, that refers to this aspect of the title while the other instruments create a sound space full of peculiar poetry in finely tuned mixtures. A piece which will delight every professional musician with experience in modern playing techniques.