Verkündigung ("Annunciation") is one of the earliest works in Peter Ablinger's catalogue, and a cornerstone for connoisseurs of his work. Composed in 1990, in Verkündigung the groundwork for his subsequent work is laid out. In exploring noise and densification, Ablinger thematises perception itself: raising awareness about listening and, through listening, about the listener.
'My work on Verkündigung began when Marcus Weiss urged me to come up with an improvisation piece. Around that time, I happened upon Domenico Veneziano's painting Verkündigung and found my own musings reflected in that painting's stark opposition between symmetrical Renaissance architecture and the free "gestures" of the angel and the Virgin Mary. At some point, I began striving to dissolve this very opposition of architecture and gesture, aiming for a conception which could contain both elements at once, in every moment - and theoretically in every sound; where one might merge at any moment into the other, or where one may appear in the other's place.' Peter Ablinger
Gisela Mashayekhi-Beer flute
Marcus Weiss tenor saxophone
Hildegard Kleeb piano
AUDIO
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Gisela Mashayekhi-Beer was born as the second child in a family of musicians in Passau, Germany. She studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg (Austria) and participated in masterclasses under Peter-Lukas Graf during this time. Gisela continued her studies under Wolfgang Shulz at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, graduating with honours. In 1991, she founded the Ensemble Wien 2001 with the composer Nader Mashayekhi and, in the same year, became the assistant of Wolfgang Shulz at her alma mater. She has also taught at the Anton-Bruckner private university in Linz and the Joseph-Haydn-Conservatory in Eisenstadt.
Marcus Weiss was born in 1961 in Basel, Switzerland. He studied saxophone at the Musikhochschule Basel with Iwan Roth followed by Frederick L. Hemke at Northwestern University in Chicago. In the last few years he has performed numerous solo and chamber works including works by George Aperghis, Vinko Globokar, Helmut Lachenmann and John Cage. He currently teaches saxophone and chamber music at the City of Basel Music Academy.
Hildegard Kleeb was born in 1957 in Richenthal, Willisau District. She studied piano under Cecile Hux and oboe under Hans-Martin Ulbrich at Zurich Music School. She later studied under Eric Gaudibert in Geneva, Claude Helffer in Paris and Jurg Wyttenbach at the City of Basel Music Academy. She has participated in the first performances of composers such as Peter Ablinger, Maria de Alvear, John Cage, Bernhard Lang and Christian Wolff.
RECORDING INFORMATION
Tracks 1 & 2 recorded at Radio SFB, Berlin, 2001
Track 3 recorded at the Church of St. Peter, St. Lambrecht/Austria, 1998
Recording producer: Wolfgang Hoff
Engineer: Willy Leopold
Release date: 22nd September 2017