Ins Nichts mit ihm: Music Against Despots for Mixturtrautonium & Voice

Featuring

Melanie Dreher
Peter Pichler
Harald Genzmer
Paul Hindemith
Paul Dessau
Henry Purcell

Did you know?

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Instruments

A unique feature of the Mixturtrautonium is its frequency dividers, which can generate chords from a fundamental tone using the subharmonic frequency series, unlike the well-tempered spectrum.

Historical Context

The Trautonium, invented by Friedrich Trautwein, uses glow lamp oscillations to produce rich overtones and formant modulation, allowing for diverse timbres and imitation of animal or machine sounds.

Recording & Production

This album features the world premiere recording of the complete work of Harald Genzmer's Cantata for Soprano and Electronic Sounds, as one movement was missing from earlier recordings.

Album & Artwork

The album title, "Ins Nichts mit ihm" (Into the Void with Him), and its subtitle, "Music against Despots for Mixturtrautonium and Voice," reflect the album's thematic focus.

Instruments

The Mixturtrautonium is an electronic musical instrument played via two string manuals pressed onto a metal rail, allowing for continuous glissandi and chord creation.

Performer Biography

Peter Pichler, the Trautonium player on this album, is one of the few musicians globally who master the Trautonium and Mixturtrautonium, regularly performing the instrument live on stage.

Performer Biography

Melanie Dreher, the soprano on this album, is a permanent member of the Rundfunkchor Berlin and has performed under renowned conductors such as Daniel Barenboim and Sir Simon Rattle.