Ressources.ircam

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.