Konsensverschiebungen for overtone singer and electronic
My composition ‘Konsensverschiebungen’, which I wrote especially for the well-known voice researcher and singer Wolfgang Saus, is a scenic work for male overtone singers and electronics.
In terms of content, the work deals with the shift to the right in European politics. In the current version, the auditorium is filled with sound from eight loudspeakers positioned around the audience. There is also a small loudspeaker next to the singer on stage. This loudspeaker is mounted on a microphone stand. Musically, the composition is based on Ludwig van Beethoven's ‘Ode to Joy’. The work begins with a genesis. Breathing, breathing and hissing open the composition and provide the basis for overtone singing and numerous other vocal techniques in a condensing sound space.
Communication is first established between the singer and the space. Gradually, the loudspeaker takes an increasingly important place on the stage. It repeats passages that the singer has sung during his performance, thus feeding off his voice. From the moment he sings a duet with the singer at the latest, the stage loudspeaker is introduced as a person. Fragments of speech become more and more concentrated and reveal more and more of this person's right-wing views. Towards the end of the piece, the singer leaves the stage and gives way to the stage loudspeaker and thus quotes from right-wing extremist and right-wing populist politicians.
In addition to the current social and political references, the composition also aims to develop new vocal techniques and apply them in an exemplary manner in order to use the human voice in musical theatre in a more diverse and, above all, more differentiated way.
‘Konsensverschiebungen’ was commissioned by the Meakusma Festival and was premiered by Wolfgang Saus on 8 September 2018.Since then, the work has received some attention.
The Institut für Demokratiepädagogik (IDP) from Eupen (B) had the work filmed by the German director Hans-Erich Viet in order to make it usable for political education.In addition, the IDP and I have developed an educational workbook to accompany the film, which can be downloaded free of charge. The film was shown at the Educational Film Festival (TREFF) in Tromsø (Norway) in 2024 and the broadcaster BR-Klassik (Bayrischer Rundfunk) discussed the work in detail in its Horizonte programme on 27 February 2024.
The technical realisation of ‘Konsensverschiebungen’ was carried out by the ‘Centre Henri Pousseur’ from Liège (B).
Links:
Konsensverschiebungen at TREFF Film Festival
