Günther Zechberger
affaires
Duration: 19'
Solos:
female voice
Instrumentation details:
flute
trombone
saxophone
percussion
piano
accordion
affaires
Audio preview
Work introduction
Unlike the usual word-music relationship, in the "affaires" the musical texture - including the singing voice - was designed first. The text - fragments of love poems from eight centuries - was composed and underlaid as the last step in the composition. The "affaires" are therefore not a setting of a text but rather the setting of music.
Due to the partial - intentional and musically conditioned - incomprehensibility of the text, it is further fragmented. This is done with the intention of offering the listener the opportunity to experience his or her own subjective love poem - similar to a poème concrète.
"affaires" was premiered with the great singer Olga Schwajger from Poland. Olga Schwajger has a range of more than 5 octaves. To ensure that "affaires" remains singable for all female voices, however, I use only graphic notation for the singing voice. This means: approximate pitches in the high, middle and low range of the performing singer.
premiere: Olga Schwajger (Poland), Tiroler Ensemble für Neue Musik - Günther Zechberger; „Avantgarde Schwaz“ 1995