An ear for improvisation in German musical ensemble
An ear for improvisation in German musical ensemble
By Helly Minarti
JAKARTA (JP): Apart from mainstream music, there are many
contemporary alternative forms of explorative and experimental
ways to play music.
In the case of Ensemble Fr Intuitive Musik, from Weimar,
Germany, the myth they are apparently trying to bend is that
traditional western music -- with roots in classical music -- is
prone to strictly written scores, while traditional eastern music
tends to be spontaneously communicated on stage.
In other words, the perception that in western tradition,
music belongs to the composers, while in the east, music belongs
to the musicians.
The ensemble has absorbed at least two grand influences in
their music. First was Karlheinz Stockhausen, a composer from
Germany, who, according to organizers, found the concept of
"intuitive music" some 30 years ago.
Second is the town Weimar, one of Europe's classic cultural
centers where the notable German poets Goethe and Schiller were
neighbors and where the works of composer J.S. Bach and Franz
Liszt blossomed.
The ensemble's musicians are expected to participate in the
creative process. Technical skills must be unquestionable because
the goal is to create an eloquent intuitive composition on stage.
The ensemble was founded in 1980 in the former communist East
Germany town of Weimar. The group's efforts to create a more
liberated expression prevented them from performing there.
Led by Michael von Hintzenstern who plays piano and
synthesizer, the ensemble consists of Daniel Hoffmann (trumpet,
horn), Hans Tutschku (synthesizer and live electronic) and
Matthias von Hintzenstern (cello).
Their uniqueness, evident from their album, lies in the
extension and differences of sounds pouring out of their
electronic equipment.
Michael von Hintzenstern participated in the Jakarta Art
Summit two years ago by composing music for the Weimar Dance
Theater.
In Jakarta, the ensemble will close the Jakarta Performing Art
Market 1997 on Sept. 1 at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail
Marzuki arts center.
They will present four numbers: Annaeherung (Approach), for
ensemble; Michael von Hintzenstern's Leuchtende Splitter (Shining
Splinter), for piano and ensemble ; Hans Tutschku's Sieben Stufen
(Seven Steps), an electroacoustic composition; and Begegnungen
(Encounters), for ensemble.
Tutschku is scheduled to give a free workshop on Sept. 2 in
Taman Ismail Marzuki. Tony Prabowo -- an Indonesian composer who
worked with the group last year -- will assist them in the
workshop, together with musician Suka Hardjana.
Bandung will be their next destination, with a free workshop
there on Sept. 5, with assistance from Harry Roesli, a local
musician popular for his "eccentric" music.