Description
„Gsammein“ refers to the poem „Gemeinsam“ of Rose Ausländer. The text states the titled topic with its aspects together – separated, divided – undivided as necessity or possibility, chance or danger, and in this sense also as the dilemma of tranciency, which all humans as individuals or groups always concern. According to this, in the choir piece the text is used in different ways, together, separated, divided, undidvided.
The poem can be heard in its original form, it is sung as syllables or letters, appearing horizontally or vertically in the voices, but it is also transformed into a soundpoem through the use of phonematic paraphasies.
Through this, language and speech, and space and time, as the Together and Dividing, are thematized. Associations hint at the metaphorical and symbolic quality of language.
Also for the development of the musical material the 18-row poem is relevant, not only in its sounds, but also in its form: a nine-tone scale and an aleatoric melody, that derives from it, build the point of reference of the whole work.
Furthermore, the positioning of the choir during the performance and the usage of the voices follow the theme of the text.
The possible polychorale layout of the work takes up the „four winds“ as the metaphor of wholeness, that all others carry. A performative element arises, if one involves the audience.
What is together – separated, divided – undivided? How does it work?
The following choir piece wants to give hints to possible answers and questions.