From Within...’s visual component is an integral part of the composition, developed with the same care as the musical part of the score. It serves as counterpoint and complete ‘voice’ within the composition. An arrangement of LED stripes above the ensemble creates an immersive visual scenario that pulsates and interacts with the music, ranging from subtle colorisation to bright and overwhelming intensity.
The visual sculpture deliberately avoids the association of video, there is no film: the focus instead being on color and immersion. It consists of 96 lines of 85 RGB LED pixels, in two spatially distributed layers.
From Within... came to life as a highly collaborative effort, involving composition, performance, technical planning, and scientific research:
Paris based, ‘Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/ Musique (IRCAM)’ provides their latest development for spatial sound distribution: a newly developed wave-field-synthesis algorithm, which allows to locate and blend electronic sound, processed sound sources from the orchestra and the sound of the acoustic instruments themselves with unprecedented detail and dynamics, using more than 60 loudspeakers placed on stage.
d&b Audiotechnik, located in the south of Germany, is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of state of the art sound reinforcement systems with more than 35 years of
experience. They provide the loudspeakers and amplification hardware necessary for this project, and the technical expertise necessary to operate it. This project is also a showcase of their latest audio processor technology, which is the central hub for all audio signals.
From Within... is a work for a quite large ensemble, highly focused on rhythmical and micro-rhythmical movement. It is be performed by three percussion players, two grand
pianos, and a full-grown string, brass and woodwind section. From Within... requires mastery in extended instrument performance techniques and perfection in detail.
The Paris based Ensemble Intercontemporain, offers all this with the highest possible sophistication. It has been founded in 1976 by composer Pierre Boulez and is the leading ensemble for contemporary music, with a special focus on works for ensemble and electronics, as well as an interest in projects that interweave music, dance, theater, film, video and visual arts.
From Within... is conducted by Ensemble Intercontemporain’s artistic director Matthias Pintscher.
Photos by Robert Henke. Video by Andreas Gockel. Below: Matthias Pintscher conducting the ensemble during rehearsal: