Einklang freier Wesen (Harmony of Free Beings)

Ensemble Resonanz, Hamburg, Germany

In 1995 Georg Friedrich Haas wrote his Einklang freier Wesen. The concept of the soloist ensemble is taken literally in this composition. Each of the ten individual voices is a solo while the ensemble work emerges through the interlinking of these individual lines that can exist in their own right. The title of the individual pieces relates to Hölderlin’s novel Hyperion.

The Hölderlin anniversary year in 2020 coincides with the global corona pandemic that has broadly incapacitated and at times brought to a complete standstill the work of the ensemble and the opportunity to experience musical performance. In the sound installation Einklang freier Wesen five internationally acclaimed ensembles and the ZKM respond to this situation with a collaboration arising through isolation.

The Talea Ensemble, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Ensemble Modern and Ensemble Resonanz are developing a way to record the ten underlying solo works from five different cities and premises – two works per city and ensemble. At ZKM the recordings of the soloists will then be further developed into an integrated multichannel production. The necessary coordination and musical harmony come care of Bas Wiegers via video conducting and electronic telebriefing of the musicians. For both the digital and also a physical presentation of the multitrack work created in this way an interface will be developed that activates listeners, thereby opening up for them an individual listening opportunity. They can choose individual instruments and follow these separately as well as alter their own listening situation within the circle of the ten individual voices. The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation is facilitating the sound installation.

Further Information:
ensembleresonanz.com