Peter Ablinger:
Infra / Ultra
Bei der Überquerungen der Grenzen der Hörbarkeit kommen verstärkt andere Sinne ins Spiel. Ein zu hoher Klang kann sich immer noch als Druckgefühl auf unser Trommelfell abzeichnen, ein zu tiefer dagegen als Vibration unseren Tastsinn ansprechen. Aber vor allem verweisen diese Grenzen auf die Grenzen unserer Welt, aber auch darauf, dass es dahinter weitergeht, dass das, was für uns eine Grenze bedeutet für andere noch lange keine ist - für Wale und Fledermäuse zum Beispiel.
- When crossing the boundaries of audibility, other senses increasingly come into play. A sound that is too high can still be felt as a sensation of pressure on our eardrums, while one that is too low can appeal to our sense of touch as a vibration. But above all, these boundaries refer to the limits of our world, but also to the fact that it goes on beyond them, that what is a boundary for us is far from being one for others - for whales and bats, for example.
Subsonic and ultrasound concepts since 1983
PASSION (1983)
for Organ, Tenor Saxophone and Tape
Parts of the piece explore the space and organ of St. Thomas Church in Kreuzberg, Berlin. This organ has both a 1 foot and a 32 foot register, with the former able to create sounds above the limits of human hearing (sounds that would generate different degrees of pressure within our ears) and the later able to project vibration patterns onto the glass windows of the church with the causal tones being too low to hear. (out of print)
ultra- and subsonic sounds for organ, detail from: Passion, 1983
ESCAPSE (1986)
for Tenor Saxophone and Tape (out of print)
listen to detail from 'Escapse (prestudy)'
N.B. Headphones or good quality loud speakers are required for this sample to be audible.
TURNER ETUDES (1992/93)
studies for prepared violin, 1-foot organ and other objects
listen to detail 1 'Turner Etude (Trio)'
listen to detail 2 'Turner Etude (Solo)'
Plate Player, notes and links
DER REGEN, DAS GLAS, DAS LACHEN (1994)
for 25 instrumentalists.
One from the piece's layers - its bottom most stratum - is referring to the frame of audibility. A keyboard part performs sine waves and slow phase interferences at around 11000 and 22Hz.
Keyboard part, detail
More about the piece
PICCOLO UND RAUSCHEN (1996/97)
"ultra-violet noise"
Noitz: Das Rauschen ist bandbegrenztes weisses Rauschen, das in der Höhe zunimmt - sozusagen "ultraviolettes Rauschen".
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GRUNDIERUNGEN (1997)
"Primers", for 1-foot organ (sampled) and lead weights. Pitches range from the highest piano c up into the ultrasonic (inaudible) area.
keyboard and lead weights, position 1
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BODY SOUND PIECE (2006/07)
foot massage, structure-borne sound, infrasound
a floor plate to stand on it, walk over it. (from: 29 short pieces)
INFRASOUND AND ULTRASOUND (2006/07)
while standing or sitting on the floor plate and being moved (massaged) by infrasound, one "hears" an "organ piece" in the ultrasonic range (keyboard with sampled 1-foot register). (from: 29 short pieces)
PALASTMUSIK (2009/10)
permanent installation with ultra- and subsonic waves
The day of the opening of the installation, January 31 2010.
8 listening positions across a long wooden bench.
Each position consists of an individual bass exciter and piezo tweeter.
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WIR ALLE HABEN ES GESEHEN (2020/21)
a sonic ritual
Infra-bed and rehearsal at Zentralwerk Dresden 2021, Foto: Maria Tržan
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GLÄSERSCHRANK (2022)
metal shelf, glasses, transducer
"black noise", shaking the shelf
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EPPUR SI MUOVE (2013/2022)
loudspeaker membrane, 1-Hz sine wave
self sufficient, inaudible music
More about the piece
see also:
Schwarzes Rauschen/ Black Noise
Mund, Augen, Ohren zu/ mouth, eyes, ears shut
Ohrstöpsel/ earplugs
akustische Unterbrechung / acoustic interruption
Musik ohne Klänge / Music without Sounds
(english edited by Henry Andersen)
