New Music By Karlheinz Essl

Recorded live at INTONAZIONE festival on 20 Sep 2019 at Eremo Santa Caterina in Rio nell'Elba, performed by Rafał Zalech (viola & live-electronics)during a dance performance of Andrea Nagl. Mixed and produced by Karlheinz Essl. "Sequitur" is a series of compositions for various solo instruments and live-electronics which was started in 2008. Somehow it can be seen as a reference to Berio’s famous “Sequenze” cycle of solo pieces which focus on specific playing techniques of the respective instrument. All Sequitur compositions use a software written in MaxMSP which creates an electronic accompaniment from the instrument’s live input; the player is confronted with his own playing, and this creates a situation like moving in a house of mirrors where the identities become blurred. Each piece can be performed by the player alone who just has to press a key on the computer keyboard whenever this is indicated in the score. The software generates a complex canon on the fly, the temporal structure and density of whic

„Prends le Fa” consists of three movements which have to be played attaca after each fermata. I. Trois cent notes II. Tremblant III. Le même, différent... The sustain pedal has to be depressed throughout the piece and should not be lifted between the movements. Although notated solely in quavers, the tempo encompasses a wide range from very slow to extremely fast. Despite its strict structure, the piece should be played in a fluent rubato attitude with lots of espressivo. And don’t forget: it’s a sound piece, not a piano etude. Recorded by Karlheinz Essl in January 2019 on a virtual Steinway grand piano (binaural).

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded on November 17th, 2018 at the premiere of Georg Nussbaumers "Atlas der gesamten Musik und aller angrenzenden Gebiete", performed by 300 students of the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna during the festival WIEN MODERN: 1) four groups of wind instruments at the foyer 2) a walk from a clarinet quartet towards a cello ensemble at Haydnsaal 3) a salsa group alternating with and harpist Luise Adler and the so-called "piano hell" 4) people walking through the campus park. Mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Komponisten Georg Nussbaumers, der MDW (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien) und des Festivals WIEN MODERN.

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Dedicated to Jörg Duit and his festival INTONAZIONE. Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded in September 2019 on the Island of Elba, Italy: 1) Piazza del Popolo in Rio nell'Elba 2) the Elba Rally witnessed from afar 3) breaking of waves at Spiaggia del Cannello 4) a nightly thunderstorm in Rio nell'Elba More information: http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded on September 2018 and September 2019 in Salò, Italy: 1) inside the ancient dome 2) at the pier 3) standing in the middle of the pedestrian zone 4) sitting at the bar of Caffé Vassalli Info: http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded between Aug 23rd and 24th, 2019 in the South of France: 1) horse feeding in the Camargue 2) sunrise near Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer with blackbirds 3) street restaurant at Aigues-Mortes in the evening 4) pedestrian zone in Montpellier with music boxes

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded on April 27th, 2019 in Hamburg, Germany: 1) Elbe shore vis-à-vis Landungsbrücken 2) public park "Planten un Bloemen" 3) Radisson Blu hotel with a self-playing Yamaha Disklavier 4) walking through the Kunstgewerbemuseum with harpsichordist Goska Isphording rehearsing. Part of the work-in-progress H.E.A.D. http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded in spring and summer 2019 in Klagenfurt, Austria: 1) early morning at Lake Wörth, 2) skater at Neuer Platz close to the Lindworm fountain, 3) bakery Wienerroither at the main train station, 4) evening atmosphere in Pörtschach. Part of the work-in-progress H.E.A.D. http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.htm

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes with kids, recorded in spring and summer 2019: 1) beach of a small lake near Suchdol (CZ) 2) kids animation room at the South Bohemian Museum in Budweis (CZ) 3) visitor's platform of the so-called "Fire Tower" in Sopron (HU) 4) skating ring at Lake Neusiedl in Rust (A) Part of the work-in-progress H.E.A.D. http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded between July 17-18th, 2019 in Linz, Austria: 1) breakfast buffet at Hotel Goldener Adler, 2) nudism beach at a small lake called "Weikerlsee", 3) steel-mill at VÖEST, 4) sound sculpture with mathematicians at Bruckner University. Part of the project H.E.A.D. http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.html

The first hour of the generative drone scape "Checkin' my Shrutis...", recorded by Karlheinz Essl on July 9th, 2019 at Studio kHz. The entire piece lasts for twelve hours, slowly cycling through a sequence of 25 chords, played on a chromatic Shrutibox and recorded by Karlheinz Essl. For deep listening, meditation and relaxation. Learn more about the creation of this piece: http://www.essl.at/works/CMS.html

Generative improvisation environment based on Karlheinz Essl's soundscape generator fLOW, created for guitarist Francesco Cuoghi. Premiered during the festival TODAYs MUSIC in Rome on June 21st, 2019 at Biblioteca Sandro Onofri. Info: http://www.essl.at/works/flow-per-sandro.html

Granular de/re/construction of W. A. Mozart's string quintet in g minor (KV 516)performed live by Karlheinz Essl during the dance performance "LamenToys" on May 17th, 2019 at brick-5 in Vienna. The sound was transmitted via a transducer onto the resonance board of a grand piano, the pedal of which being held all the time. Binaural recording with a Sennheiser Ambeo Headset.

Imagine yourself sitting on a carousel and circling around. On your ride, you can hear music from 4 loudspeakers that are mounted at the foot of the carousel. Only those who let their bodies swing round and round will hear, feel, and experience the music composed for this situation. For this occasion, Karlheinz Essl has created a swirling sound environment based on his composition „Kalimba” for toy piano and electronics. Part of „Let’s merry-go-round” - a project by musikprotokoll in collaboration with the International Summer Academy of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. More information: http://www.essl.at/works/vertigo.html

Listen with headphones in order to enjoy the 3D sound! Feature by composer Karlheinz Essl and poet Erwin Uhrmann about the City of Graz, Austria. Based on binaural soundscape recorded in various places of this beautiful and vivid town. Part of the work-in-progress H.E.A.D. (Hearing Entirely Ambient Domains) http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.html

300 notes in 4 minutes, a brand new composition by Karlheinz Essl, originally scored for piano, played on a vibraphone with the depressed sustain pedal. Score available for free: www.essl.at Although notated solely in quavers, the tempo encompasses a wide range from very slow to extremely fast. Starting with a speed of MM = 50, it gradually accelerates to MM = 400 which equals three “time octaves”, speaking with Karlheinz Stockhausen (cf. his famous article ...how time passes... from 1957). A similar transition also happens in the harmonic domain where the range of three octaves (from F to f”) finally collapses into a single pitch (f'): And also in the dynamics, a permanent process of crescendo and diminuendo takes place. Needless to mention, all this processes happen simultaneously at the same time. Despite its strict structure, the piece should be played in a fluent rubato attitude with lots of espressivo. Recorded by Karlheinz Essl on January 17th, 2019 at Studio kHz. Binaural recording - listen with h

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded in February 2019 in South India: 1) vegetable market in Mysore, 2) a bronze workshop in Thanyavur, 3) morning atmosphere on a houseboat in the backwaters of Allepey, 4) fishermen pulling out a net from the sea near Varkala. Part of the work-in-progress H.E.A.D. http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.html

300 notes in 4 minutes, a brand new composition by Karlheinz Essl played on a Steinway piano with depressed sustain pedal. Score available for free: http://www.essl.at Although notated solely in quavers, the tempo encompasses a wide range from very slow to extremely fast. Starting with a speed of MM = 50, it gradually accelerates to MM = 400 which equals three “time octaves”, speaking with Karlheinz Stockhausen (cf. his famous article ...how time passes... from 1957). A similar transition also happens in the harmonic domain where the range of three octaves (from F to f”) finally collapses into a single pitch (f'): And also in the dynamics, a permanent process of crescendo and diminuendo takes place. Needless to mention, all this processes happen simultaneously at the same time. Despite its strict structure, the piece should be played in a fluent rubato attitude with lots of espressivo. Prpduced by Karlheinz Essl on January 9th, 2019 at Studio kHz. Binaural recording - listen with headphones.

Binaural rendering of a live recording - listen with headphones! In "Miles to go", four toy pianists are treated as a single unit, forming a single meta-instrument. They are not merely playing different voices, but contributing to a common sound that they are creating together. The dense and fast hammering at independent tempos creates haunting phasing effects that appear as an aural rendering of the well-known visual moiré patterns. These hectic and breathless movements evoke moments of stress and unrest but at a certain point, become transformed by the listener to the opposite: a quality of calmness. Finally, another transformation takes place when the percussive attacks are gradually replaced by soft and flowing sounds, which are achieved by stroking and scratching the soundboard with the handle of a percussion mallet. Performed by Isabel Ettenauer, Jennifer Hymer, Stefan Weinzirl, Bernhard Fograscher (toy pianos), conducted by Daniel Moreira on 27 Sep 2014 at Laieszhalle, Hamburg (D) during Non-Piano /

Binaural recording - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded between December 15-16th, 2018 in Berlin, Germany: 1) a cemetry in Kreuzberg, close to the grave of E.T.A. Hoffmann 2) a ride on the metro line U7 between Südstern and Grenzwall 3) my sound installation AIR BORNE at the Aerodynamic Park of the Humboldt University in Adlershof 4) audience at Volksbühne just before the concert of Irmin Schmidt, the founder of CAN. Dedicated to my friend Jack Hauser for his 60th birthday. http://www.essl.at/works/HEAD.hmtl