The Smell of Light, 1000 Unikate 

iit were another (1998) - by Malcolm Goldstein"it were another", for violin/voice solo, is the third in 
a series of pieces  whose source is found in a statement by Jasper Johns, concerning his approach  
to painting, that was then transformed by John Cage into a mesostic focusing  on time and space. 
This sound-text structure is extended in my work into the  more fluid dimensions of improvisation 
in three different realisations: an instrumental  ensemble piece ('as it were', 1996), a radio/ acoustic 
art work, ("as it were,  another", created at WDR, Cologne, 1998), and finally a structured improvisation  
format (it were another). This last piece begins with words from the John Cage  setting (-"different things
 at the same time-space - into another world") and  then introduces words of mine concerning improvisation 
(...'like a brook ...  through dirt, rocks, trees...finding ... the smell of light.') 

that is poetry as (1993) - by Malcolm Goldstein
The music is a transfortnation of the mesostic, "I have nothing to say...', by John Cage' The mesostic is a transformation of his statement, in his "Lecture on Nothing", to becorne sound-text poetry and the music cornposition, "that is poetry as", is a further extension from the word-sense of the mesostic into sound-sense. lt is a structured improvisation in which each musician follows a different path in realizing the mesostic setting. The violinist follows the horizontal unfolding of Cage's sound-text poem and the percussionist follows the vertical line of the original statement, together creating an interwoven texture of phrases and events.

Revolver (1999) Matthias Kaul
This composition is based on the sequence of vowels and consonants of alove song by the medivial poet W. von der Vogelweide. It is about two people making love in the open air, in the grass under the lime-tree. My music is more about the sounds which surround the lovers, like insects, breaking twigs and the atmosphere of shyness, the fear that somebody might watch them… The title refers to the Beatles LP “Revolver”, which is a rotating thing, while in my piece the wheel of the hurdy gurdy is turning. As a sort of refrain two elements of the song ”Tomorrow never knows” appear, a melody which is slowed down very much and a sound quotation, both are difficult to recognize, but as it is with refrains, they appear several times.

concerning melody (1998) Malcolm Goldstein
The music focuses on the process of transformation, beginning with three activities (sounding of source-textures, interjections and "Renga" interplay relationships) from which varieties of timbre-texture melodies evolve. lt is an improvisation format in which the two musicians, performing two very different sounding instruments, move into a field that incorporates individual lines of exploration, as well as the common ground of ensemble interplay. lt is a music in which sound becomes noise and noise becomes melody. lt is dedicated to Matthias Kaul.
Last ! Movement (1999) Matthias Kaul
Walking at the seaside, I once saw fine blades of seagrass washed by the water to the shore, now lying on the beach, frozen in their last movement, looking like an unknown sort of writing.Before being washed ashore, the grass had unlimited possibilities to move. So the piece is a sort of metamorphosis from a very wet to a very dry situation.

Good mourning moon (1999) Malcolm Goldstein, Matthias Kaul
The title is a slightly altered quotation of some words out of a song called “Hush Now” done by Jimi Hendrix with Curtis Knight, they sang “good morning moon, good evening sun….” In this piece, a completely free improvisation both musicians play string instruments, Goldstein the violin and Kaul a Hurdy Gurdy.

 

Credits: All songs written and played by Malcolm Goldstein and/or Matthias Kaul.
Painting and design: Wolfgang Kahle
Photography: Dietmar Kurig
Co-Production Hessischer Rundfunk / NURNICHTNUR Kunst- und Musikproduktion.
Executive Producer: Dr. Bernd Leukert (HR) / Dieter Schlensog (NURNICHTNUR).
Recording dates: 7./8.10. 1999. Recording venue: Sendesaal des Hessischen
Rundfunks, Frankfurt am Main.
Recording Supervision: Christoph Claßen. Recording Engineer: Thomas Eschler.
Digital Editing: Christoph Claßen
Thanks to Hanne Kasteinke for manufacturing 1100 CD bags by hand .
ich@matthiaskaul.de , kunst@wokahle.de, mailbox@nurnichtnur.com