ensemble recherche

One of the most outstanding and periodically recurring characteristic features in the works of Zimmermann are the singing, talking or otherwise vocal employment of instrumentalists. The concert dedicated to and portraying Walter Zimmermann and his creation will focus on the subject matter of Colla Voce – Singing Instrumentalists, adapting the main theme of this year’s MaerzMusik: MUSIC – VOICE – TEXT.

Colla voce (Italian for ‘with the voice’) is an instrumentation instruction saying that one or more instruments are to accompany the vocal part note for note. Walter Zimmermann does not only take this instruction literally in that the instrumental part is joined by a vocal one but he also reverses the relation of music, voice and text. The instrumentalists sing or utter words while playing their instrumental parts, which requires a particular kind of virtuosity, and more. Through the addition of a vocal part, the music is somehow ‘made literal’ or ‘linguistically intonated’, thus forming a contrast to usual ways of setting a text to music. Which is the commentary and which the original statement? Do the words and texts from the most different linguistic spheres - romantic poetry, modern lyrics, medieval philosophical mysticism, psychological reflections etc. - comment on the music or does the music function as a foil to the text? What language, with what words, does the composer actually speak?