Critique of Cultural Essentialism and Political Violence in my Works for Chinese-Western ensemble
My two works repercussion.camouflage.report (2003) for sheng/xun, flute/bass flute, trombone, percussion and live-electronics and the wasteland of minds (2003–04) for sheng/xun, zheng, clarinet in A, accordion, violin, cello and live electronics were aiming to find non-hierarchical forms of musical communication between Chinese and European instruments and musicians. A hybrid material based on gestural performance movements and playing techniques aimed beyond the idiomaticism of adapted musical material from traditional musics, a procedure I had used in earlier works for intercultural ensembles.

Moreover, both works were conceived during a period of enhanced global political conflict (9/11, Second Iraq War etc.) which is reflected in the explicit and implicit documentary and text material integrated into these pieces. A crucial function is taken by the live-electronics which in both pieces enhances the complexity of the sound situation and contributes to an entanglement of the sonic spheres. Both works were created in communication with sheng-performer Wu Wei and are indebted to his unique performance style. As a conclusion a short look at my most recent work for intercultural ensemble, walls for ensemble and electronics (2018), will show how the search for non-hierarchical sound structures has materialized here and how the role of the Chinese instruments has changed in the conception of this work.

Séminaire 8 : Comment écouter le son du sheng ?

Le sheng (orgue à bouche) est un instrument riche d’une longue histoire dont le répertoire se partage entre la tradition et le contemporain. Pour accueillir et encourager de prochaines créations, une équipe de chercheurs (France, Allemagne, Autriche, Chine, Taiwan, Japon) va travailler sur l’histoire, les différents modèles d’orgue à bouche, le répertoire, l’étude acoustique, l’analyse gestuelle d’improvisation, la combinaison de doigtés, la notation, et explorer cet instrument historique qui se prête de façon surprenante à la modernité. Toutes ces recherches seront accompagnées par une série de séminaires.