ÜBER ALLEN GIPFELN IST RUH
Wandrers Nachtlied is the title of two poems by German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Ein Gleiches (“Another One”) is Wanderer’s Nightsong II, is often considered the most perfect lyric in the German language. In my composition Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh I attempt to use the verbal modes of enunciation as the basis for my compositional process. Along with an understanding of rhythm and meter, stress and phonemes, I seek to grab moments of human speech and speaking modes to express dramatically my musical vision – to express the restful unrest, the longing for peace in nature that can be never experienced. To create timbral unity all frequency spectrums are derived from the recordings. However, I also applied a variety of modifications using those spectral sources including envelopes derived from percussive sounds (e.g., bell, drum and gong), and cello recordings (kindly provided by Ramsey Sadaka). The performance interface I use is the Leap Motion, which through the data streams it produces controls the sounding and modification processes of the vocal recordings that form the basis of the composition. Interacting with sounds within an intangible half hemisphere of air the Leap Motion infrared sensor provides an “unrestful” controlling experience that demands continuous and full attention throughout the performance. Sound recordings are of Dr. Stephen Rodgers reading of the Goethe’s poem “Ein Gleiches” and were provided through his great generosity. Translation of the original German text is provided below.
“Ein Gleiches” “Another One”
Über allen Gipfeln Above all summits
Ist Ruh, It is calm.
In allen Wipfeln In all the tree-tops
Spürest du You feel
Kaum einen Hauch; Scarcely a breath;
Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde. The birds in the forest are silent,
Warte nur, balde Just wait, soon