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I put my music into the space. I don’t want to send any messages, I think of nothing and I don’t want to purport any meanings. The listeners hear what they hear and behave to the music as they feel.
Austrian composer, Klaus Lang, describes himself as observer of tones. As stated himself, his roots belong to Gregorian tradition and his music definitely represents abstract way of perceiving it.
Though abstraction (of form and content), he is interested in clarity and truth.
His work includes pieces for various setups, but common term that can be used as description of Lang’s work is construction of time. Whether he composes stage works, big or small ensembles or solo instruments, the listener experience a huge space, filled with either wall of sound or sound blocks that varies in intensity and massiveness.
Lang’s image is largely marked through his output for stage and his favourite instrument – organ, exploring entire spectrum of possible sounds, from hum to sine waves, therefore starts GODrec a series of releases with his organ music with two different aesthetic examples mentioned above.
Massiveness is the best description for 17 symmetrien. A wall of sound, the piece explores the whole range of the instrument at the maximum power. To some extent, this is pure organ symphony – but someone would also define it as drone music too.
The second piece, mars attacks. deals with punctuality and pointed tones with occasional sub layers, creating quite astonishing and scary mood of unpredictability.
Klaus Lang is a composer and organist living in Berlin. "Music of stillness, to be played pppp from beginning to end. Music of layers, where the pianist’s left hand begins in the far bass, below the quarter-tone timpani, but peeks out above from the halfway point in this ten-minute composition. Music of waiting and happening, of stasis and movement, all at the limits of hearing, of listening. Music of abrupt change and continuity."
Details
Cat. number: GOD 17
Year: 2013
Notes:
17 symmetrien. (2012). Recorded and mixed by Klaus Lang and Adam McCartney January 2013.
