Audiomostly'22

Opening Concert

Tuesday, 6th September 2022 19:30 | Main Hall B

In cooperation with the St. Pölten Music School

Without the spatio-temporal expansion of sound, music cannot exist. This means that the acoustics of a room contribute significantly to the listening experience of music. The space for which a piece of music is composed thus becomes an instrument itself, a resonating body. Understandably, the relationship between music and architecture is evident throughout the entire history of music. There is the Venetian polychoral style of the Renaissance, which came to full bloom in the architecture of St. Mark‘s Cathedral. The delicate sonatas by Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti, written only a little later, also bear a spatial concept: They were composed for recitals in the royal chambers at the Spanish court. In recent music history, impressive connections between music and space can be found in the sprawling expanses of stadium rock, the cramped basement vaults of jazz concerts, and also in the heated energy of techno clubs. The space shapes the music and the music shapes the space. In this sense, every room has its own music that suits it.

Spacious and flooded with light, the entrance and interior area of the new campus building of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, which was completed last year and extends over 4 fl oors, is perfect for musical exploration. Its openness and transparency are entirely in keeping with the vision of the university’s Strategy2025 which sees the “European University as an inspiring source of knowledge transfer and skills acquisition for all people who contribute to an inclusive and progressive society.” So, what is the “right” music for such a space? This is the question the concert will explore.

Opening & Introduction: Lukas Schönsgibl - Head of the St. Pölten Music School

Gerriet K. Sharma: critical mass (2015-16/2022) - for icosahedron loudspeaker and architecture

Michael Gordon: Timber (2009) - for percussion ensemble - STUDIO PERCUSSION graz

Susanne Fröhlich & Gerriet K. Sharma: Semaphor (2018) - room composition for Helder tenor recorder and icosahedron loudspeaker

About the artists