Christian Dimpker
N. 02 Entgleisungen
Duration: 11'
Instrumentation details:
flute
clarinet in Bb
percussion
piano
violin
violoncello
N. 02 Entgleisungen
Translation, reprints and more
Christian Dimpker
Klarinette in B (N. 02 Entgleisungen)
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Christian Dimpker
N. 02 Entgleisungen
Available digitally
Orchestration: Für Flöte, Klarinette in B, Klavier, Perkussion, Violine und Violoncello
Type: Dirigierpartitur
Sample pages
Work introduction
Entgleisungen may be described as the continuation of Tatsachen in zwei Sätzen. It is the first piece that features manifold extended playing techniques and new notation methods for a larger chamber music ensemble. With the introduction of the work numbers for these pieces, my compositional approach had reached another level, inter alia by overcoming compositional aids such as orchestra libraries to listen to the score or audio software to notate live electronics. However, with increasing complexity and diversity, I became more and more aware of the difficulties concerning the ad hoc notation of unconventional techniques. These pieces are thus the starting point for a later treatise on the notation of unconventional musical techniques, which guided my work for over a decade. Unfortunately, I had to spend this decade without ever listening to Entgleisungen, as no ensemble dared to perform this work. The piece was revised after completing the development of the notation system for extended playing techniques (Dimpker: Extended notation. Vienna et al. 2013). The revision was extensive, but mainly concerned with the methods of notation and not the content of the piece.
The parts of the flute & clarinet as well as of the violin & violoncello are combined in one score each.
What is necessary to perform this work?
Three stereo microphones are used. Their placement and polar pattern are explained on p. V. The microphones send to stereo loudspeakers. The setup is supposed to be determined by the sound engineers. Since the timpani are only utilised briefly the percussionist is supposed to play them. The mallets for the percussion instruments are shown on p. VI. All fingerings of the flute and clarinet were taken from Krassnitzer as well as Levine and Mitropoulos-Bott. The fingerings for the clarinet are meant for the German (Oehler) system. Both the clarinettist and the flautist are, from page 12 to 16, required to speak through the instrument. All spoken sounds are notated by means of phonetic spelling, based on the International Phonetic Alphabet. Every note is related to a syllable or a phoneme. Numerous actions are executed inside the grand piano. The utilised model needs to have the following characteristics: at least 25 bass strings (»A0 – A2«) and, at best, no additional braces that cover these. Additionally, the strings »D4 – AＬ4« and »D5 – D6« may not be separated by crossbeams. The piece can, for instance, be played on the models Bechstein B-88 (208 cm), L167 and M/P 192, Bösendorfer 170 and 200, Boston GP-165 PE, GP-163, GP-163 PE and GP-178 PE, Steinway O-180 and S-155, Wendt & Lung 161, Yamaha C2 and C3 and hence mainly on short pianos. Strokes on the body of the grand piano are notated by means of an illustration of the instrument.