Christian Muthspiel performed live with Ernst Jandl in the 1980s and, after Jandl's death, performed a solo piece called 'für und mit ernst' over one hundred times, where he duetted with Jandl's voice.
Composition History
Christian Muthspiel composed "vom Jandln zum Ernst" for his jazz orchestra ORJAZZTRA VIENNA to create the illusion of a live performance with the poet Ernst Jandl, whose voice acts as the main soloist.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ernst Jandl, the poet featured on this album, believed that his spoken poems only truly came alive when read aloud, and he was considered the finest interpreter of his own works.
Compositional Technique
Jandl's poems, often written in continuous infinitive and consistent lowercase, use radical linguistic constraints to directly impact the listener, creating 'blues from language' and 'jazz from words'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
This album, an oratorio for a poet's voice and seventeen jazz soloists, is the culmination of Christian Muthspiel's decades-long engagement with the work of Ernst Jandl, a keen jazz lover.
Cultural Impact
Ernst Jandl's radical poetic work, described as a 'revolution from below,' resonated with diverse audiences, much like jazz, reaching people regardless of their background or education.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ernst Jandl, a passionate jazz fan, once stated that he would not need to write poems if he had the ability to be a good jazz musician.
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