Peter Ablinger
AN DEN MOND
from: "Augmented Studies"
"To the Moon", for 1-31 chanting violinists, 24', 2021
Magic spells for a healthier life
an "al fresco-composition" with Biliana Voutchkova
Super-Moon at April 27 2021, the day of finishing the piece "To the Moon"
photo: Siegrid Ablinger
The composition "An den Mond / To the Moon" consists of 16 short items, magic spells, for voice and violin, most of them layered (up to 31 layers; and in item 9 also an old zither plays a role). Here is (in german) one of the (invented) magic spells for a healthier life, inspired by antique (greek, latin) magic spells found in the book below.
WOLF NICHT NOCH WURM
WINDET IM STURM
GEHT MIT DEM MOND
SCHWINDET MIT IHM
It was winter in Berlin, in the midst of the dark days of the Covid pandemic, a period of intense lockdown. Globally, we were learning how to adapt, to remain flexible, how to preserve our health and spirits. Laszlo and I were in touch regarding something unrelated to this release when he mentioned Peter Ablinger. He knew that we had worked together on multiple occasions, and asked me "... by any chance, do you have anything recorded from the time you were playing the music of Peter Ablinger? I would be extremely interested…" Such perfect timing, as Peter and I had been considering a new collaboration, the creation of a solo piece, this time for violin and voice. I visited him in his studio and, quite naturally, we confirmed our mutual interest to start the work and plan the recording of the new composition in April. We reserved the entire month for us, and Peter prepared this amazing self-made recording booth where, without my knowing it, I was going to be playing and chanting magic spells. By the end of March, the microphones and accompanying equipment were in place and we looked forward to beginning the process. Just a few days before our first meeting, I fell ill. Being conscious of avoiding contact was a must, so sadly, I had to postpone our beginning. Covid thoughts were in the air, and although I wasn’t diagnosed with the virus, it was clear we'd have to wait. Soon after, my son contracted the disease, fortunately, in a light form. Two weeks passed slowly by, half of our designated working time. It was an insular period of care, reflection, acceptance, of longing to reach the other side. And finally, with the illness behind, we began the long awaited process of creation. Peter surprised me with the idea of chanting his realtime, improvised, magic spells. Each day on arrival, he would write them on small scraps of paper. We'd exchange ideas and suggestions, prior to my peacefully playing and chanting for hours in the recording booth. This sequence of short pieces was completed on the day of the so called “super moon” and, as it has been from the very beginning, clearly we were in symbiosis with a form of intuited universal order. The name of the completed piece, suggested by Peter, came easily to him. I had nothing more to add but smile and embrace “An den Mond” - magic spells for a healthier life.
"score" for piece 12: BIST HEUTE GEBOREN
listen to some of the items/pieces from "An den Mond":
ZEITVERTRIEB WIEN BERLIN