flut
for bass flute and quadraphonic sound projection
A collaborative composition by Belma Bešlić-Gál & Bernhard Gál
This is the first joint composition by the Austrian composer/sound artist Bernhard Gál and the Slovenian-Bosnian composer/pianist Belma Bešlić-Gál, preceded by the concert projects Vortex and Void, and an artistic cooperation regarding the interdisciplinary art project Sterngucker. The act of composing is commonly regarded as a solipsistic activity, which more or less rules out the possibility of creative teamwork. This collaboration is an experiment where individual aptitudes, mannerisms and modes of operation, as well as specific conceptual and technical approaches at creating music are united under the umbrella of a mutual aesthetic perspective.
Audio recordings of sand are the prevailing source materials of the electro-acoustic part of flut, the first compositional collaboration of Belma Bešlić-Gál and Bernhard Gál. The envisioned relationship between the singular and the whole is already reflected in the nature of the used sound materials: For the human ear one single grain of sand remains largely inaudible – the polyphony of the mass is needed to obtain a perceivable sonic experience – the individual sound events of innumerable sand grains conflate into a single gestalt, the unanimous sound of sand.
At the same time, acoustic features of the bass flute and its unique playing techniques are understood as additional grains of sand, merging with the electro-acoustic sound projection. The objective is to create a consistent sonic experience composed of interwoven yet discrete elements.
flut came into being at the suggestion of the composer Hossam Mahmoud and has been premiered in conjunction with his project “Oud Plus” at the Stift St. Peter in Salzburg in November 2011.
flut has been selected as Austria’s official contribution to the World New Music Days 2013.
— Text: Bernhard Gál
Duration: 9′
Instrumentation: Bass flute, Sound projection
Equipment: Four-channel audio system
Performers of premiere: Vera Klug (bass flute); Bernhard Gál (sound direction)
Premiere: Stift St. Peter – Romanischer Saal, Salzburg, November 13th, 2011
Support: Land Salzburg (working grant)
- 13.11.2011Premiere — Bass flute: Vera Klug | Stift St. Peter – Romanischer Saal | Salzburg, Austria
- 03.02.2012Austrian National Radio Ö1 – Zeit-Ton
- 17.04.2012Austrian National Radio Ö1 | Zeit-Ton Porträt. Belma Beslic-Gál. Gestaltung: Rainer Elstner
- 23.06.2012Bass flute: Vera Klug | live recording session #177@amann studio | Vienna, Austria
- 15.07.2012Atelier für Neue Musik, Radiofabrik, Salzburg
- 11.09.2012Alto flute: Aleš Kacjan | International Computer Music Conference | Ljubljana, Slovenia
- 30.01.2013Bass flute: Vera Klug | Atelierkonzert – œnm | Künstlerhaus | Salzburg, Austria
- 02.02.2013Bass flute: Eva Amsler | The Sixteenth Biennial Festival of New Music | Opperman Music Hall, The Florida State University | FL., USA
- 15.05.2013Bass flute: Doris Nicoletti | Austrian Cultural Forum | London, UK
- 10.11.2013Bass flute: Monika Štreitová | ISCM World Music Days | Studio 5 | Bratislava, Slovakia
- 13.04.2015Bass flute: Doris Nicoletti | Ensemble Kontrapunkte | Musikverein | Vienna, Austria
- 14.11.2015Bass flute: Elisa Azzàr | IGNM @ prattica E | Kulturzentrum bei den Minoriten | Graz, Austria
- 15.12.2016Austrian National Radio Ö1 – Zeit-Ton
- 30.01.2019Bass flute: Sylvie Lacroix | PHACE »Adventures in Wonderland« | Konzerthaus | Vienna, Austria
- 08.02.2019Bass flute: Sylvie Lacroix | PHACE »Adventures in Wonderland« | Kurhaus | Hall in Tirol, Austria
- 19.06.2023Bass flute: Doris Nicoletti | CMS – Computer Music Studio | Sonic Lab, Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität | Linz, AustriaWerke aus dem Spannungsfeld von notierten, fixed media, mehrkanaligen, generativen und audiovisuellen Arbeiten · Einführungsgespräch 18:30 Uhr mit Andreas Weixler
A collaborative composition by Belma Bešlić-Gál & Bernhard Gál
Audio and Video recording: Bernhard Gál © | Video editing: Belma Bešlić-Gál ©