Stromsänger

Artist: Christina Kubisch & Trondheim Voices
Title: Stromsänger
Format: LP
Cost: $15
UPC: 793447552415
Catalog number: IMPREC524
Release date: April 26, 2024

Stromsänger (2022)
For six voices, electromagnetic waves and electronics
Commissioned by nyMusikk Trondheim

“The general theme of the composition is the idea of sounds which travel. During a tram ride from the city up to the hills with an old tram I discovered not only stunning views of the surrounding landscape but as well a special soundscape. Wearing a custom made induction headphones, I could hear the normally hidden electromagnetic fields of the tram, which were so impressive and musical to me that I immediately decided to base my piece for Trondheim Voices on this discovery.

As a start, a series of pure vocal recordings were produced by Trondheim Voices while listening to a choice of electromagnetic tram sounds and following score instructions. This material was mixed in my Berlin studio, and afterward was played back through a multi-loudspeaker setup into the room of the Elisabeth Church in Berlin and was instantaneously recorded. The emerged recording was played back and recorded again. The process of playing back the previous recording was repeated numerous times, generating numerous “re-recordings”, until the voices sounded aethereal and abstract. The last one of these recordings became the very beginning of the Stromsänger piece.

Part A is based on the electromagnetic sounds of the waiting tram and previously recorded voices. The singers come on stage and start to sing together with their recorded part which slowly fades out while the live singing takes over: a kind of choral for electrical tram waves and voices.

Part B is based on the actual tram ride with strong and intense electromagnetic sounds. The single recordings were treated electronically and were divided into six channels. Each singer has chosen one of these files and improvises with the magnetic sounds as a soloist or in duos or trios.

Part C is based on the itinerary of the tram ride to Lian, where a pilgrim's path starts. The names of the single stops, which have very beautiful and poetic names, are performed together as a kind of "sound poetry". The singers walk around on stage and/or can choose special positions for their performance. The recording of the word "Lian", the final stop, was recorded beforehand and played back and re-recorded several times in the open Norwegian landscape near the final tram stop. The voices slowly disappear and fade out.”

– Christina Kubisch, 2024

Trondheim Voices: Sissel Vera Pettersen, Ingrid Lode, Siri Gjære, Anita Kaasbøll, Heidi Skjerve, Natali Abrahamsen Garner

Voice recordings: Daniel Formo, Eckehard Güther, Lars Ove Fossheim
Electromagnetic recordings: Christina Kubisch
Electronic editing of electromagnetic recordings: Tom Thiel
Sound design and mixing in Berlin, sound director concert in Trondheim: Ecki Güther

The premiere of Stromsängerwas in the Rådhussalen, Trondheim, August 20th, 2022.