32 scan sonatas after Ludwig van Beethoven
produced by Hermann Kretzschmar
Hermann Kretzschmar, pianist of the Frankfurt Ensemble Modern, composer and radio playwright, realizes an experiment with the 32 Scan Sonatas. He transforms compositions into a snapshot.
For this purpose he uses the much played and heard 32 sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven. Hermann Kretschmar wanted to translate these icons of piano music into the present day. For this purpose he shortened the sonatas to a length of three to four minutes each by taking out the most important elements of these sonatas and reassembling them in a new way. Kretzschmar describes the work as a »quick reminiscence« of the originals. For this purpose, he removes the first sound of each bar of the respective sonata from its context and reassembles them to form a new organism. In this way, memories and allusions to the processual course of the original work are created. In addition, Kretzschmar adds several variations of this scanning process to the resulting musical material, using coincidence, pauses or other shortening processes. The scan sonatas were realized as a cooperation of the ZKM | Hertz Lab together with the SWR.
Production
Hermann Kretzschmar: THE 32 SCANSONATES
Recording: April 23–27, 2018
Postproduction: July 16–20, 2018
in the Cube of ZKM Karlsruhe
Sound engineer: Sebastian Schottke
Instrument: Steinway D
Piano tuner: Michael Schimpf
World premiere: Pianola Museum Amsterdam 12.12.2016
Co-production SWR & ZKM | Hertzlab