Klang
Jonty Harrison
Programme notes
The title (‘Klang’ is the German for ‘sound’) reflects the onomatopoeic nature of the family of sounds providing the raw material for the piece — sharp, metallic attacks with interesting resonances rich in harmonics. The real starting point for Klang was the discovery (in Denis Smalley’s kitchen
Although continuous, Klang falls into six short, fairly clearly defined sections
The listener can trace the development of the material from raw statements of casserole sounds in the Introduction, through more complex, highly transformed events in the four sections, back to the opening sound-world in the Coda. The most obvious transformation technique is mixing, using multiple but only slightly transposed versions of simple sounds. Besides mixing and transposition with tape recorders and a harmonizer, the main modifications were achieved by filtering and, most important of all, montage. This last technique is the principal means of controlling the timing and rhythmic articulation of the material and its organisation into phrases (which may be a single line or a mix of many layers, edited together into the desired sequence).
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Klang [Timbre] was realized in 1982 in the Electronic Music Studio of Magyar Rádió (HEAR) in Budapest (Hungary) and premiered later that year at the University of Birmingham (UK). The piece was commissioned by MAFILM. It was awarded the 2nd prize in the Analogue Category of the 1983 Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Awards (France) and it was awarded a 1992 Euphonie d’or “as one of the twenty most significant works from two decades of the Bourges Awards.” Thanks to János Décsenyi. It has been performed and broadcast in many parts of the world, including at the 1984 ISCM World Music Days in Toronto (Canada). Klang has been previously released in 1984 on the UEA label (UEA 84099) and in 1996 on the NMC label (NMC D035).
Premiere
- December 7, 1982, Concert, Elgar Concert Room — Faculty of Arts Building — University of Birmingham, Birmingham (England, UK)
Awards
- Composer(s): Jonty Harrison
- Year of composition: 1982
- Duration: 9:00
- Instrumentation: stereo fixed medium
- Publisher(s): Ymx média
- Commission: MAFILM, Magyar Rádió
- ISRC: CAD500014140
