Sequitur is a series of 14 compositions for various solo instruments and live-electronics written for outstanding soloists. Somehow it can be seen as a reference to Luciano Berio's famous Sequenze cycle of solo pieces which focus on specific playing techniques of the respective instrument including orchestral instrument. Essl's Sequitur cycle includes pieces for orchestral instruments like flute and violin, but also for voice, electric guitar, toy piano or kalimba.

All Sequitur composition use a software written in MaxMSP which creates an electronic accompaniment from the instrument’s live input; the player is confronted with his own playing, and this creates a situation like moving in a house of mirrors where the identities becomes blurred.

The Sequitur software generates a complex canon on the fly, the temporal structure and density of which being controlled by random operations. This yields different results every time the piece is performed. Although following a precisely notated score, there is always a good portion of surprise for the musician which emphasizes his awareness and attentiveness.

Info

Sequitur

Classical, world, etc 5

Pierre Henry
Theme De Myriam
KREEP03

For the third installment in our Finders Kreepers dedicated vintage horror soundtrack series we begin with an obscure French witch flick which pulls together stylistic echoes of both Bell Book And Candle and Czech gothic thriller Morgiana then feeds them through the musical mind of one the true pioneers of electronic composition for this little known OST by a well known sonic maverick. Often evading the composer’s discography lists Pierre Henry’s rare score to Malefices (aka The Hex or Where The Truth Lies) hears our bonefide musique concrète originator at what is perhaps his most melodic and fragile (especially for the formative era) layering vocal tape loops and gossamer feminine voice treatments with plucked strings, white noise wind and brooding industrial piano textures for this intoxicated poison peon which stands as the perfect opener to an intense soundtrack for those lucky enough to find the original record (or film for that matter).

The second cut on this limited edition 45 is a classic piece of unnerving horror composition that adopts the same child-like vocal/brooding undercurrent that has earned scores like The Innocents, Night Of The Hunter and Profondo Rosso an indelible place in our nostalgic nervous systems.  Creating a major stir as a novel and stage play before benefitting a celluloid adaptation The Bad Seed shocked audiences with the first cinematic killer kid in mainstream cinema following a did she/didn't she plot set to innocent nursery rhymes played in fragile minor keys against paranoid orchestral restraint.  Mirroring the theatrical mother’s worst fears and accentuating the lead roles split personality The Bad Seed earned composer Alex North continued plaudits for his classy, conceptual realisation of this milestone in horror cinema soundtracking.

Pierre Henry - Theme De Myriam (Maléfices)

Sunil Ganguly... Chole Jete Jete.wmv

Recorded by Margarete Jungen (voice) and Karlheinz Essl (live-electronics)on 14 Apr 2010 at Studio kHz.

In Sequitur IX for mezzo soprano and live-electronics, I was scrutinizing non-western chants and vocal techniques. When I was composing this piece, I experimented with my own voice and tried out everything before writing it down. Here, I was utilizing techniques of overtone singing, combined with plainchant singing and belcanto. As if eastern and western religious ceremonies were melting together into something beyond…

Info: http://www.essl.at/works/sequitur/sequitur-9.html

Sequitur IX (2008) - for mezzo soprano and live-electronics

Recorded by Anton Lukoszevieze (cello) and Karlheinz Essl (live-electronics) at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK)on 18 Sep 2008.

The Sequitur cycle consists of 14 different compositions for various solo instruments and live-electronics. It can be seen as a reference to Berio’s famous “Sequenze” cycle of solo pieces which focus on specific playing techniques of the respective instrument.

All Sequitur composition use a software written in MaxMSP which creates an electronic accompaniment from the instrument’s live input; the player is confronted with his own playing, and this creates a situation like moving in a house of mirrors where the identities becomes blurred.

The software generates a complex canon on the fly, the temporal structure and density of which being controlled by random operations. This yields different results every time the piece is performed. Although following a precisely notated score, there is always a good portion of surprise for the musician which emphasizes his awareness and attentiveness.

Info: http://www.essl.at/works/sequitur/sequitur-4.html

Sequitur IV (2008) - for cello and live-electronics

Recorded live with Barbara Lüneburg (electric violon and live-electronics) on 30 Oct 2010 in Vienna.

Sequitur is a series of 14 compositions for various solo instruments and live-electronics written for outstanding soloists. Somehow it can be seen as a reference to Luciano Berio's famous Sequenze cycle of solo pieces which focus on specific playing techniques of the respective instrument. Essl's Sequitur cycle includes pieces for orchestral instruments like flute and violin, but also for voice, electric guitar, toy piano or kalimba.

All Sequitur composition use a software written in MaxMSP which creates an electronic accompaniment from the instrument’s live input; the player is confronted with his own playing, and this creates a situation like moving in a house of mirrors where the identities becomes blurred.

Info: http://www.essl.at/works/sequitur/sequitur-3.html

Sequitur III (2008) - for electric violin and live-electronics

Recorded live on 23 Apr 2008 at the Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg with Georg Riedl (clarinet) and Karlheinz Essl (live-electronics).

Sequitur is a series of 14 compositions for various solo instruments and live-electronics written for outstanding soloists. Somehow it can be seen as a reference to Luciano Berio's famous Sequenze cycle of solo pieces which focus on specific playing techniques of the respective instrument. Essl's Sequitur cycle includes pieces for orchestral instruments like flute and violin, but also for voice, electric guitar, toy piano or kalimba.

All Sequitur composition use a software written in MaxMSP which creates an electronic accompaniment from the instrument&rsquo;s live input; the player is confronted with his own playing, and this creates a situation like moving in a house of mirrors where the identities becomes blurred.

The Sequitur software generates a complex canon on the fly, the temporal structure and density of which being controlled by random operations. This yields different results every time the piece is performed. Although following a precisely notated score, there is always a good portion of surprise for the musician which emphasizes his awareness and attentiveness.

Info: http://www.essl.at/works/sequitur/sequitur-2.html

Sequitur II (2008) - for clarinet and live-electronics

Edward Artemiev-Meditation (Stalker Movie Soundtrack) 1979!

Víg Mihály - Rain I (Damnation) / A Soundtrack from Béla Tarr Films

First reading of Karlheinz Essl's Sequitur I piece with Karlheinz on electronics.

Sequitur-I by Karlheinz Essl

Recorded live at INTONAZIONE festival on 20 Sep 2019 at Eremo Santa Caterina in Rio nell'Elba, performed by Rafał Zalech (viola & live-electronics)during a dance performance of Andrea Nagl. Mixed and produced by Karlheinz Essl.

Sequitur is a series of compositions for various solo instruments and live-electronics which I started in 2008. Somehow it can be seen as a reference to Berio’s famous “Sequenze” cycle of solo pieces which focus on specific playing techniques of the respective instrument.

All Sequitur compositions use a software written in MaxMSP which creates an electronic accompaniment from the instrument’s live input; the player is confronted with his own playing, and this creates a situation like moving in a house of mirrors where the identities become blurred. Each piece can be performed by the player alone who just has to press a key on the computer keyboard whenever this is indicated in the score. The software generates a complex canon on the fly, the temporal structure and density of which being controlled by random operations. This yields different results every time the piece is performed. Although following a precisely notated score, there is always a good portion of surprise for the musician which emphasizes his awareness and attentiveness.

More information: http://www.essl.at/works/sequitur.html

Sequitur IIIb

Sequitur IIIb (2008/2018)for viola and live-electronics

Born 1960 in Vienna. Austrian composer, improviser and performer. He studied composition with Friedrich Cerha and musicology in Vienna. Besides writing experimental instrumental music, he performs on his own electronic instrument m@ze°2, develops software environments for computer-aided composition and creates generative sound and video environments. Since 2007 professor of composition for electro-acoustic and experimental music at the University of Music in Vienna.

Karlheinz Essl performs on a laptop computer that he has transformed into a live electronic musical instrument. The result is exciting and musical. You just won't hear these sounds anywhere else. He performs solo and in duets and trios, responding with sensitivity to fellow musicians, producing fascinating sound transformations, creating spontaneous surprises, and moving quickly from loops to cacophony to tiny clips of vocal sounds to all kinds of textures and ideas. He does all this with his m@ze°2(Modular Algorithmic Zound Environment) performance software. (Joel Chadabe, CDeMusic, Januar 2002)
