This piano track emerged in the beginning of the lockdown in Vienna. The city of Vienna was suddenly quiet, but singing birds took over the space. The most magic hours were during nightfall, when the blue of the night set in. This is what this song is about. For Video Footage of that time see 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkO4soeykEs
Find this song also on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/6DNGpnPvsvJiRwe9OoUtFs?si=6abcd3ddee75475c

Composition-wise, the piece has a recurring theme in C that is varied several times with individual unique sections in betwwen. At the climax it shift to c minor while fading out in C major again. While the piece is in general in a 4/4, the right hand becomes more and more triolic in the latter part of the piece.

Blue Of The Night (Solo Piano)

Lying in the gras, gazing up the stars above the alps right into the milky way. A warm summer night, the air fresh but still warm, the evening scent of flowers and trees in my nose. Around me the bats fly from the woods, the crickets chirp and from time to time a shooting star lights up the night sky 
(Yeah, it is mid August and these are the Perseides - if you haven't done so, mark your calendar for the next August 13 and head out for a spectacular night 🌟)

Find this song also on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZISNjB77nqhYYAECtaUet?si=a8b17de92b3a4781
and on Youtube
https://youtu.be/AWv7uMXta5k

Star Gazing (Solo Piano)

This is a piece from the film Vincent that I wrote way back in my mid 20s. It underlines a scene where a twen eagerly waits in the floor of his parents flat for a call of his lover. It is a very tender piece in depicting the fragility of their early love om c minor. In the end it switches to C major when the telephone finally rings and anxiety changes to joy.

The track is available also on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/4XfmZdGmPe019sCZB9oJcp?si=57e3e5855b1e4e6c
and Youtube
https://youtu.be/V0eLyhUyGlY


You can find the film under https://archive.org/details/Vincent_version_03_engl_subtitles_h264 
and the soundtrack (from like 25 years back) here: 
https://archive.org/details/KonradRichterSoundtrackMovieVincent

Edit 22.12.27: I had originally used the Dolby-Remastering provided by Soundcloud. Due to the really bad results, (extensive clipping,  loss of dynamics, strange hissing sounds in the back) I changed back to a version I remastered myself.

Waiting For The Call (Solo Piano)

This track starts with a well known theme from the movie "The Godfather". In fact, I have never seen the film and I erroneously thought I had invented the theme, until I learned that it is actually not by me 🤔. I must have subconciously heard it from street musicians and then my brain sneakily declared it as its own invention 😉. Anyways, I am certain, my piece is sufficiently different from the original film music that I will not be sued for copyright issues ...😉.

The tune starts with the theme of "The Godfather" and then relatively quickly turns into an arpeggio-like part. Originally I had named the song "Rain on the Fields" as this passage reminds me of rainveils floating through the air. 
After a very reduced middle piece, the arpeggio piece is repeated again, but this time with a delay of 1/16 note in the right hand which gives it (at least for me) a distinctly different, more airy, feeling. After an elegic (more ore less) triolic part, in the end, the piece touches again lightly on the Godfather theme and finally vanishes in thin air 🎈

I hope, you like it! In any case, I would appreciate your comments (positive and negative). 

All the best, Konrad

PS: You can find this track also on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/7DG31Ozi5aIGQl8PRsAodO?si=dd923565b0ce4a63
and Youtube (albeit with a different title when I originally uploaded it)
https://youtu.be/0g-jmDrEnHU

A Tribute To The Godfather (Solo Piano)

I wrote this piece for my uncles 80th birthday. The composition captures various facettes of his life: Coming from (catholic) Austria but settling and living in (protestant) Switzerland, he has throughout his life been actively involved in his church community. So I took a variation of the  ecumenical Taize-song “Bleibt bei mir und wachet mit mir” (Matthew 26:38) as the main theme. The theme is coming up three times, interrupted by various parts that touch on other episodes of his life: his bringing up in the aftermath of WW II, his family life in rural Switzerland or as his classic piano education and subsequent Jazz/Blues/Boogie improvisations which he distributed on CD to friends and family.  My uncle is also the person who nurtured my musical interest by frequent CD gifts and he inspired me to publish my pieces. Thank you for bringing this aspect into my life and happy birthday 😊.

Compositionwise, the piece is relatively straight forward: The main theme comes three times (in the very beginning and in the very end in d minor and after ca 1 min in a minor) with the  first bars stemming from the above mentioned song but then leaving the original version with intermittent parts that resemble the main stations of my uncles life. The other thing I tried to emphasize in this song is a switching between parts with a relatively rigid 4/4 metrum and some intermittent parts with triplets.

A Rich Life (Solo Piano)

Every year in December, the high fog in Vienna starts to weigh heavily, and I tend to forget what summer is like. I mean, literally, going out of the house without a jacket seems like such a distant memory to me that it could well stem from a fairy tail.
In this song, I wanted to capture my essence of summer. A meadow with a plentitude of different flowers, undulating in a breeze of wind. A short rain shower that clears the air and leaves a fresh scent. Lying in the grass, running through it and simply embracing nature. And the melancholic certainty that it is still so many months till I cann enjoy this again …

Composition-wise the piece consist of three variations @ 0:0, 1:01 and 2:42 which level off into different directions after the initial same 9 notes in the beginning. 
In each variation, after some bars of intro, the right hand is shifted versus the left hand so that the „1“ of the right hand comes 1/8 resp 1/16 before the respective „1“ of the left hand. With that offset I try to evoke the feeling of the blossoms moving like soft waves in the wind. 
The tension in the piece comes besides some syncopics also from the gradually increasing metrum in the left hand – from ¼ in the beginning to the subsequent 1/8 pattern starting @ 0:10 that builds the left-hand structure for most of the piece on to the intermittent faster segment @ 2:11 ff with 1/16 metrum.

The piece has been recorded on a Roland FP-90
The picture was created with Stable Diffusion and postprocessed in a very brute way in Powerpoint ☺

Summer Meadow (Solo Piano)

Well, the song‘s title is relatively straight-forward. Due to the harmonies that sound (at least for me) quite oriental and the unsquare metra at some parts, this song reminds me of one of my all-time most favourite books. I leave it up to you, dear Listener, to imagine, how this specific tale evolves .

Composition-wise: The piece is in a scale (a-a#-c#-d-e-f-g-a) that is not an ecclestical mode but rather influenced by oriental scales. I read a bit about Persian music and though this scale also does not seem to occur in the Persian Dastgah system with its microtonal intervals, it still it reminds me of 1001 nights – can‘t help the cliche, hope, this is not understood as cultural appropriation ;-). 
The first minute until 1:07 the piece oscillates between just two harmonies (based on a and a#). Thereafter, the track shifts to the more lyric Dorian mode (d-f-g-a-b-c). The arpeggios starting @ 1:37 are meant to resemble a Persian tar. Thereafter, @ 2:11 the track reverts to the finish with the original tune but 1 tone lower (ie, the scale starts with g instead of a) and some minor rhythmic variations vs the beginning. 
The base rhythm is a 4/4, though this is interrupted frequently by syncopes to allow for a more free floating rhythmic texture. Moreover, the underlying 4/4 is at times interrupted by beats of length 6/4 (e.g. @ 0.14, 1:11, 2:25, 2:44,… ). 

The track has been recorded on a Roland FP-90 and mastered in Cubase by adding compressor, reverb, a Stereo enhancer and fiddling a bit with the EQ.
The picture was created with Stable Diffusion. I find it fascinating that most of the figures upon closer inspection make little anatomic sense but still our brain accepts them upon a short glance as a perfectly valid picture.

Scheherazades Tale (Solo Piano)

You can find this track also on Youtube where I filmed myself while playing this. https://youtu.be/s5ytA3aeu6w 

I just wanted to try out whether I could do a Boogie. This is the outcome. Hope you like it and it gives you good energy. 

Composition-wise: The left is a consistent 1/8th Boogie base line throughout the piece and typically consisting of a lower chromatic line and an upper constant note (e.g., C0-C1-D0-C1-Eb0-C1-E0-C1). The right hand dances over this with a partly Staccato theme that is loosened up by repeated Syncopes, Delays and advanced notes. The piece starts in a joyous C and modulates over its course to the minor third and ends in the warmer (and for me richer) Eb. 

The track has been recorded on a Roland FP-90.
The Cover art was created with Stable Diffusion which I continue fuddling around with. I think it is already a far jump from my previous „Sheherazades Tale“ Cover art but still not perfect. In particular, I continue to wonder what kind of music might be played with the very peculiar arrangement of white and black keys on the keyboard.

Danc'n On The Low Keys (Solo Piano)

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/3ROhTHrVNxzfcoLKJvhTbY
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjIFwZ_Puog


The inspiration for this track is a vision where I am not sure whether it is a faint memory from some childhood holiday or whether I have dreamt it  :
Standing on the edge of a rocky cliff, gazing out at the tumultuous ocean below. The waves crashing against the rocks with a thunderous roar, the force of the water sending a spray of mist and foam high into the air. In the distance a lone lighthouse
overlooking the scenery. A glimps of the power and majesty of nature and our own smallness in comparison. 

Composition-wise: The piece consists of three parts (@0:01, @0:59, @1:45) that always start with the same 5 note-motive but then develop into three distinct variations with different characteristics but throughout the track there is a certain sense of dramatic scenery.
The left hand is throughout the piece mostly in octave jumps (which became quite challenging condition-wise at the end of the piece) that segment the 4/4 beat into groups of 3-3-2 (the only notable exception is the part @0:35ff with its chromatic baseline).
The right hand alternates between lyric parts such as in the beginning or @0:59ff and rhythmic syncopic parts such as @2:30ff that leads to the final where the right hand preceeds the left hand by a beat to create a sense of energy.

The track has been recorded on a Roland FP-90 and mastered in Cubase by adding compressor, reverb, a Stereo enhancer and fiddling a bit with the EQ. 
The picture was created with Stable Diffusion.

Lighthouse On The Rocks (Solo Piano)

Scores to this track can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNskWHKp_kE.

This piano piece is dedicated to all people that need to leave. Their homes, their loved ones, their lifes that they had so far. Because they see no future, because some regime presses them to go to war, because they have broken with their loved ones. All the best to you and may you find a new home!

Compositionwise: The piece is structured into 4 parts (starting @0:02, @0:45, @1:38 and @2:44). Each of the parts starts with a question-like motive built around Ninths. As with most of my pieces, I investigate applied perturbation theory also in this track by starting these 4 parts almost – but only almost – with the same notes and exploring, how initially tiny tweaks in the beginning of the parts evolve over time into distinctly different melodies, harmonics and moods.
Overall, the piece constantly oscillates between melancholic minor and consoling major harmonies and periods of relative calm interrupted by more restless forward driving parts. The transitions between the parts are made more seamless by ritardandos and by question-answer pairs such as e.g, @ 1:28 or @ 2:33. Most of the accompaignment in the left hand is in Vienna classic-like triad decompositions but for the climax of the track starting @ 2:02, the left hand switches to rock-piano-like octave jumps to increase the sense of emotional agitation. The track starts in A major and ends in Eb major which is said to be a warm and melancholic tonality. Tthe two keys are opposite each other (6 jumps away), so I guess, this is the maximum range of modulation possible to emphasize the sense of distance and leaving. 
The track can also be found on Spotify and on Youtube. Enjoy!

Leaving (Solo Piano)

Long time ago in the Scottish Highlands. A tribe that lives in a rough and harsh surrounding, strengthened over generations by the unfriendly environment. The borders of the tribes territory are not exactly known. In particular, in the North, the saying goes that vast areas of unoccupied lands will belong to those that first dare to claim it. So a small troup of currageous military men sets foot to the Northern Frontier ...

Composition-wise: The piece explores the change of atmosphere when the same motive is played with different accompaniments. The same theme can be found for instance @ 0:00 ff,  0:23 ff and 1:05 ff. The accompaniment increases in intensity and rhythm for these three instances, ranging from a meditative intro over a – to my ears – tribal dance or chant towards a first  climax of the piece which might make a good soundtrack for a battle in the Scottish Highlands. The track then settles down to the second theme @ 1:33 which again is repeated with much more agitated accompaniment @ 1:55 ff. 

While the track is in general in 4/4, it raises the tension by sometimes breaking the metrum into more unconventional rhythmic structures. This holds in particular for @ 0:46 ff where the metrum changes to a succession of ¾, 4/4, ¾, 6/4, 6/4, 4/4, ¾, 4/4, ¾, ¾, ¾ and then reverts to the original 4/4. Also @ 2:09  there is in insert of a ¾ bar and at the very end @ 2:30, there is a 2/4 break just before the final chord. 

I did some Youtube Shorts in Case with more details on some composition tweaks that I used in this track:
Varying the Accompaniment: https://youtube.com/shorts/7HAWSz2Mg14?feature=share
Breaking the metric structure: https://youtube.com/shorts/tUvaq8D6nUo?feature=share
Ligature Bows: https://youtube.com/shorts/-WBf6Du040g?feature=share
Keeping the attention until the end: https://youtube.com/shorts/qnJl5BQ4yxU?feature=share


The track has been recorded on a Roland FP-90 and mastered in Cubase by adding  reverb, a Stereo enhancer and fiddling a bit with the EQ. 
The picture was created with Stable Diffusion. 

The track can also be found at 
Youtube (including the scores): https://youtu.be/FIQZc7JakvQ
Spotify: spotify:album:5YG7dpoBElKImcbmX7eWTU

The Northern Frontier

The Northern Frontier (Solo Piano)

See also: 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/0bREnowKOP8TeEFgWd0MWe?si=1TSN2KDZTLu3LRi1pxYHYA
Youtube (with Scores): https://youtu.be/OEr_OsCbRMg

This laid back song takes its course without many surprises, just like a afternoon where you have nothing specific to do. Your mind wanders around from here to there, not really resting on a specific topic but without haste thinking about this and that.

Compositionwise: Most of the song plays with a delay of an eigth beat between the left and the right hand. Typically, the right hand follows the left hand thus creating a relaxed and laid back feeling. However, at times, the delay when playing shifted quarter beats in the left and right, leads to the music sounding more agitated though both hands have actually relatively slow metrums. (e.g. @ 0.35 or @ 1:20). The main motive arrives three times in the song in different variations with a relatively long (@ 1:10-@ 2:40) middle part that touches on  prelude-like as well as song-like elements. 

The track has been recorded on a Roland FP-90 and mastered in Cubase relatively puristically by just adding  reverb and fiddling a bit with the EQ. I currently find that other effects such as Compressor or Stereo Enhancer do not necessarily improve the sound. But might change that opinion again when I gain more experience ... :-)
The picture was created with Stable Diffusion.

Silent Tuesday (Solo Piano)

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/track/5FsPCoQ2Y9Z0OuG5kWDxDs?si=c03ccc558021498a
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUxKzif8IKI
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/konrad-spittelberg/yearning

Yearning. The pain when you long for something and yet can't get it. When periods of depression and self-immersion are interrupted by outbursts of hearfelt desire and longing, only to collapse into themselves again. And yet, excruciating as this bittersweet state of mind is, the heart nevertheless seems to also derive pleasure from it.

Compositionwise: 
The track is of the form Intro (@0:00) - Main1 (@0:33) - Main2 (@1:29) - Diversion (@2:19) - Main3(@2:53) - Outro (@3:17)
Overall, the track lives from its sequence of low-energy parts and muffled outbursts. Over time, the track increases in intensity, in two ways: First, its speed increases from the Intro in the Mid 60s to the Low 70s lateron. Moreoever, the melodical intensity of the variations gets increasingly dense (see below) 

The track starts with a low-paced introspect Intro where the left melody line goes up and the right hand down. This contraction in the used space of tones resembles the seclusion of the proponent of our story. The desparation is underlined by sudden crescendos and abrupt falling back into pian(issim)o. This effect is held up throughout the remainder of the track. The left hand in the Intro follows a low-paced half note beat. The right hand first introduces the lead theme that is later varied in the parts (M, M', M'') but then modulates in a unique way that is not repeated throughout the track again.
@ 0:33, the Intro is over and the first of the main parts, Main1, starts. The left hand increases its intensity from here on throughout the track by switching to quarters instead of halfs. The lead theme is modulated with more energy (and will be ever more intense in the later variations of Main). After that, the track goes @0:57 into a series of outbursts and resignations. This series is repeated in Main2 @1:57 in more intensity and a chord inversion higher.
The Diversion is characterised by chord inversions that gently fall down, just like rain that pours down that window that our protagonist stares through. And then reaches the biggest outburst of the whole track.
Finally, after Main3, which includes the most intense version of the lead theme and harmonically altered variation, the piece finishes with a questioning yet pieceful end.

In mastering the piece, after MIDI editing, one of the challenges was to find the right balance between the plaintive metallic overtone-rich outbursts versus a rich and full sound for the resignative parts. I chose the Pianoteq Warm Peterov Mistral (with some minor tweaks) as the piano. On this, I used three basic Cubase-inate effects: (1) some light-touch EQ (a scaled-downversion of Basic Piano), (2) compression (Ratio of 1.8) and (3) Reverb (the Cubase-equivalent of the Goldener Musikvereinssaal in Vienna of course :-)). The mix has been balanced at -1db to allow enough headroom for the streaming services' normalization magic to happen ;-).

Yearning (Piano Miniature)

Check out my music here: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co

This track has been baptized by my 10 year old daughter “Not in this world”. I like it, it suits its special atmosphere. 

Compositionwise, the track follows an AABAB structure. It starts in part A with monophonic lines in the left and the right hand (the first chord of the track is used @0:29) and the track does not shift to polypohony until 0:45. The left hand has a rigid rhythmic pattern of a half followed by two quarters (occasionally another half) that is broken the first time by an eight at 0:41, increasing the tension just before the switch to polyphony (part B). 

Left and right hand in part A are interwoven in that they only rarely have notes played simultaneously. Rather they mostly complement each other in that when one hand plays a note, the other rests. This is done by shifting the left and the right hand by an eight note – the basic 4/4 rhythm is maintained by the left hand while the right hand dances around this pattern with a shift of 1/8. Notationwise this requires tons of ligature bows to depict the notes that lie across the bars (see youtube video for scores). The shifting by 1/8 allows the two hands to complement each other and creates a melodic carpet by intertwining the two melodic threads.

With the start of part Bs polyphony around 0:45, the track falls into a melancholic downward melody interrupted by brief glimpses of hope. While the right hand underlines now the melody with chords, the left hand is now deviating from the strict rhythm to more playful accompaignment with eights. 

The track then repeats the initially monophonic melody of part A, yet now with a bit more chord texture in the right hand and an arpeggio-like quarter pattern in the left hand. Afterwards a more intense variation of the melancholic part B fades finally out into the oblivion of the universe. 

Some explanatory videos to underline this:
Youtube with Scores: https://youtu.be/73IXNheVlDw
The intro: https://youtube.com/shorts/i0oeK5_pct0?feature=share

The track has been recorded via a pianoTeq Steinway. However, I used four mikes in the virtual setup, two of which I put very close together. I guess, each sound recorder who understands something of his affairs would condemn me for that, but to me, the resonances give a very peculiar feel to the piano tone which suits nicely the mood that I wanted to express.

Not In This World (Piano Miniature)

Have you ever imagined how medieval knights could scratch themselves? With all the bugs around, chances were high that some of them would climb into your armor and bite. But how could they relieve yourself with that blasted armor between you and the itching spot?
Well, this piano track gets as close to the musical equivalent of this feeling as possible. 😁

Compositionwise: (for scores pls see https://youtu.be/2Xs3WsgG6UI) 
The left hand follows alternatingly a leaping base line (as e.g., in the beginning), and a chromatic blues-like pattern. The character of the piece is mostly shaped by the alternating use of staccatos, portatoes and legatoes in the right hand and characterized also by some scattered syncopes

Check out more of my music here: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co

Sir Egmonds Itch (Piano Miniature)

Check out my music also here: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co
This is a teaser for my upcoming first vocal song which will be published on December 6, 2024. Yeah, finally I will do lyrics:-)
The inspiration for this came last when I was shopping for our New Years Party - as always on the last day and as always all the people in Vienna had the same idea. As I stood in the queue, I imagined how things could escalate if would let my anger loose. Just hypothetically, of course. Hope, you enjoy the result and will listen into the vocal version on Dec 6.
Compositionwise, the track has a boogie structure with the left hand chromatically going up and an octavating thumb like in c0-c1-d0-c1-es0-c1-g0-c1. The right hand strongly uses syncopes to instill the rhythm onto the track. Slight variations in the rhythm keep the tension like, e.g. comparing the very beginning with 0:45 ff.  The track is mostly being in the modes I, IV and V (C, F, G). 
Over time, the mood of the piece changes from relaxed and happy to ever more tense with a final relieve at the end. 

The track has been recorded via a pianoTeq Steinway (no after-effects). Cover with Dallee

The New Year's Queue (Piano Miniature)

This my first ever song with lyrics. 
The piano version of this song is at 
https://soundcloud.com/konrad-spittelberg/the-new-years-queue-piano-miniature
Check out my other music here: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co

In the New Year's Queue

On a crisp and sunny morning, I step inside the market hall
Buying treats and sparkling wine, for our New Years party at night fall
My thoughts are drifting to the evening, dreaming of a joyful night
I dream of dance, of friends of fancy fashion– tonight is gonna feel allright

And then arrive at the counter - no, that's euphemistic to say
‘cause the end of the line is 20 meters away
Patience tested but my pulse still stays rested
I glance at my watch, just sufficient time still at hand
But if I get delayed, my day won't go as I planned
“Come on, why can’t you just move along?”

An elderly 
-- couple decides that they want to get 
--rid of all their coupons
They search their bags with amazing endurance - it’s a geriatric marathon
They turn each leaflet individually – is it still good?
I feel the pressure slowly rising under my hood
 
why do I have to waste my time in line - what's the deal?
how did I end up here - I must attest -- this gets a surreal feel
Every minute feels like hours, I’ve got to  go
Stuck in this snail trail that is creeping so slow

--- A man wants to pay 
his whole purchase with coins and he counts them with intricate care 
--- But then he mixes them up 
and so the count repeats again, 
--- as the line waits in ever increasing despair
his fingers start to tremble even more 
as he tries to build piles
 --- if it were for me
I would strongly support a law 
That would put this guy  into eternal exile

 Clench my fists till they’re white
Try to resist the anger that is building up inside of me
Hormones storming, my vision forming a tunnel
That is filled to the top with a bloody red sea
I must confess, it was no clever plan
To use my cart, As a battering ram
First it caused a shopping cart traffic jam
And then the first blow started to hit  into my belly

You will understand that I needed to defend my stand
Fists were flying there were children crying I did not care
Rage was holding me in its clutch
My composure breaking, this was getting too much
As I went down under kicks and blows


And the last thing that I’m able to recall
I was smashed against a wall
It nearly  broke  my skull
Conciousness waved politely bye bye 

I woke up the following day in a hospital
the bruises were not really critical
but my enthusiasm for this new year had faded to null

Around next Christmas, 
I'll mind my own business
And leave all the parties behind 
And will try  …
… to unwind

The New Year's Queue (Piano Poetry)

An epilogue to the human race. Why do we so firmly believe that our species will survive? Over 99% of species that roamed the earth in the course of the past 4 billion years have vanished again. We only know of them, when we examine the fossile record. So, chances are (unfortunately) very high, that also we will become extinct some time and our memories are only preserved in the depths of the earth. 
Also, the Fermi Paradox (see, e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNhhvQGsMEc) leaves us puzzled why we see no other forms of life in the universe. 
Let us not get extinct! (and, on a personal note, I think, the  travelling to Mars is not exactly the solution to ensure the survival of our species. Rather, it is, not ruining our wonderful home planet)
A lyrics version will come out soon.

Compositionwise, the piece is structured in four parts. 
Part 1, introduces the lamenting theme, first in a very basic relaxed fashion with slow accompaniment and then becoming a tad more agitated. The chromatically descending accompaniment underlines the mournful mood. The second half of the part starting @0:24 is a bit more consoling but keeps the overall spirit. The other three parts (starting @ 0:48, 1:31, 2:15) are variations of the main theme with the last part leading @2:40 into the end that leaves more questions than answers)

The VST piano used for this recording was the Nils Frahm Noire (not the felt version) which I slightly brightened up to have more of the singing overtones.

Fossiles in the Making (Piano Miniature)

My second track with lyrics. I hope you like it!

Fossils in the Making - Lyrics

Some billion years ago
a curious random flow
of molecules ignited what we now know as life

life went on to disperse
grew violently diverse
and crept and swam and blossomed into each niche of earth

a myriad creatures grew
and each one looked out to
eternal thriving for their species 
little they knew

that all comes to an end
when time was ripe, they went
into oblivion - just the fossils 
hold the memory of them
And suddenly some strange new creature 
starts to enter the scene 
the age of humans begun
They seem to have developed 
some remarkable features 
their intellect matched by none

With their collective mind
They could find the spell to bind 
The curse of certain extinction
for their kin and their kind 

With their joint intellect 
With humble due respect
They might protect themselves from vanishing
But they don’t seem to mind



We spy into the cosmos with our Hubbles and Webbs
but all we manage to hear ...
... is nothing .... but the menacing sound of pure silence 

out there are a zillion worlds 
older by eons than ours 
that should host 
a wealth of civilizations 
… Where are you?
…. Where have you gone?

The web of life emerges, 
occasionally it purges
And rips out nearly all the pages from its thick book
Life fades at rapid rate.  
Are we next on the slate?
Is perish our fate?  
Our odds don’t look good

Mother nature is not kind 
She does not really mind
Whether the human race will live tomorrow
No time to borrow

We’re fossils in the making
Gaia’s taking her toll 
We could have had it all
… we might have had in it in our hands
... I guess, we barely stood a chance

Fossils in the Making (Piano Poetry)

This track is my very personal take at the Koan "Hear the Clap of your Hand". My lyrics version (https://soundcloud.com/konrad-spittelberg/the-clap-of-one-hand-pp) might make things clearer. (yes, this is my sneaky strategy to guide you from one song to another :-))

Compositionwise, the track is roughly split into two equal parts. The first part introduces its cinematic theme in the very beginning, taking it thereafter up several times with slightly different accentuations and rhythms which gives it a fresh feel with different highlighted nuances in each repetition. Several interludes contribute to the cinematic feeling. 

The second part, starting @1.53 starts by a more Jazzy version of the main theme. However, from 2.20 onwards, it is very restricted in its harmonies - only two harmonies are used from thereon until the end, C major and C# major. The tension arises purely from the rhythmic changes (such as the shift from 4/4 to 3/4 @3.17 and back), climaxing at the end.

The Clap of One Hand (Piano Miniature)

This is the lyrics version of my piano piece (https://soundcloud.com/konrad-spittelberg/the-clap-of-one-hand). (Roughly) same melody, but now with lyrics. 
If the melody left you puzzled about the title, maybe the lyrics will connect the dots. Hope you enjoy it — drop me a comment, I’m curious what you think!

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The Clap of One Hand - Lyrics
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The high priest looked the monk straight into the eyes 
“You search for wisdom, want to see through disguise 
Then hear the clap of only one hand, 
Imagine tasting the kiss of only one lip!”

The monk was puzzled, did not know what to make of this question 
His mind was racing without the slightest suggestion 
The meaning was hiding so deep 
He could as well go to sleep

And as he lay down he thought and he thought some more, 
And soon he’d snore a Monkish snore 
Deep in his dream he saw the cosmic law 
As it is and will be and has been before

To find the truth you need to see the world through different frames,
As place and motion, time and energy play Heisenberg’s games
The one single truth, the clap of one hand deceives the ancient lore

And then his dream shifted to our world
Where flags of dogma are unfurled
Where it’s en vogue to scorn the views of those 
Whose minds are differently curled

They yell their slogans convinced that it's only their kind who knows truth
They silence doubt and debate to keep everything smooth
They vote in blocs convinced others mean harm
They don't want to discuss they don’t want to disarm
They spit poison and phlegm - 
Them is us, us is them

The monk awakened quite surprisingly rested – and something like pride filled his chest 
The dream had opened his eyes and he knew the deep meaning that the koan expressed 
And so as fast as his feet could carry him he ran to the temple ground Requesting to see the high priest and as soon as he met him he told him the solution he found:

“Avoid the clap of one hand 
'Cause you can not understand 
The world in all its true colors if your mind cannot bend 

Every Current or Tide 
Must with others collide, 
A single stream is quite boring, nothing happens inside.

Seek out the voices that are not like your own – 
Don’t guard your comfort like a dog protects its chewed upon bone 
Be cautious if all of your friends do agree – 
You might discover greeater insights without cheap harmony

A field of only one crop may spark in sunlight like gold, 
But slight disease might turn these fragile monoculture to mold 
No coral alone can just survive with it’s kind – 
Reefs only thrive when hundredthousand curious creatures entwine

Don’t flatten the ground so that your pace can be faster –
'Cause if you don’t train your balance each false step means disaster 
All life, all vision needs to ripple and bend – 
Not frozen in uniformity but free to transcend”

The monk fell silent, his speech was complete - 
He wanted praisal, but the priest kept his seat. 
An awkard silence filled slowly the air, 
The priest just sat there with a calm, timeless stare

“I like your thinking—it rings wise, it rings bold, 
It has reason, it's crafted, it's gold. 
But, dear monk, there might be one subtle twist: 
There is one aspect that you seem to have missed.

You see the truth where opinions compete, 
That wholeness only grows where none is complete. 
But if no single view should stand out alone 
Then even your own view must be overthrown

You praise duality, the joining of two - 
But what if your view in itself is not true? 
What if the world isn't built as you claim? 
What if we’ll never know the rules of the game?"

Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
… Reflect on the clap of one hand

The Clap of One Hand (Piano Poetry)

A tribute to all those hours in the life that we loose with utterly senseless stuff and that vanish into oblivion. Not the hours that we loose on necessary evils like household chores but rather the ones like doomscrolling where we know, we could and should have used them better. But then in the end - does it really make a difference in the long run?
 
Three times the same motive with different turns after a few seconds respectively (at @0:00, @0:57, @1:50).  And a Coda @2:19 with an open question and the hint of an answer.

Again, this composition will come with lyrics in due course, however, since I don't have access to my studio currently, this will take some time - will likely publish some other things before.

Thanks to all of you for listening and supporting my work!

Elegy for the Hours (Contemporary Piano Miniature)

This piece started as a late-night piano mood that kept growing over a few days — no plan, no program — just following the harmony where it wanted to go.

Only afterwards, when I listened back, the section around 1:00 suddenly caught my ear. It had that old “Rising Sun” kind of pull and swing . Not copied — but clearly from the same emotional neighborhood. And I thought: alright… if there’s a house in New Orleans — then in my version there’s a house on Spittelberg.

So I went down the rabbit hole a bit deeper. The New Orleans “house” is often linked to a brothel in the traditional backstory of the song. And guess what — Spittelberg in Vienna also had a long and colorful history with exactly that kind of establishments. Narrow streets, night life, questionable doors, and stories behind every window. Vienna has always been polite in daylight and complicated after dark.

One of my favorite old Vienna stories says that Emperor Joseph II used to walk the city at night in disguise to see how things really were — without court sycophants professionally distorting reality for career reasons. (I’m no monarchist — but I do have a soft spot for leaders who verify facts with their own eyes instead of outsourcing truth to loyal echo chambers.)

According to the tale, he once visited a brothel in the Spittelberg area — and when it came time to pay, he realized he had no money on him — dealing with cash was apparently not something he encountered very often. After all, who expects an emperor to carry cash for such profane matters when the whole country is supposedly his ;-) Anyway, he didn’t pull rank — so, with no money and no patience for excuses, they reportedly showed him the door like any other unlucky late-night guest — emperor or not.

There is a house on Spittelberg. And if you walk there at night — you might still feel it.

From a compositional point of view, the piece follows an A–A′–B–B′–A″ structure (A at the opening, A′ around 0:47, B at 1:16, B′ at 1:37, and the final A″ at 2:12). The melancholic main theme returns in several variations, separated by a contrasting interlude with a slightly jazzy character. In parts, the left and right hands move in tight sync — especially at the opening — while other variations draw their character from the off-sync interplay between both hands. The B sections feature strong contrasts between pedal-rich passages and dry, sudden (“subito”) attacks.

Recorded using Noir in Cubase.

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/track/1LtjAEUOO4mx5lGe5rzfB1?si=7577ce8cdaf140d7
Youtube (with Scores): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy7Zq1zUwQw

There is a House on Spittelberg

The piano is not just an instrument; it is a storyteller. My lifelong companion. Each piece holds the memory of a moment in time, of a period in life. Here, I share my personal journey—one miniature, one experiment, one story at a time.

I’m Konrad Spittelberg, 52 years old. Though I’ve always called Vienna my home, I have pursued various interests, building an interdisciplinary background that spans education in Latin and Greek, studies of Mathematics, Physics and Economics and a carreer in Consulting and Risk Management. Sometimes, you might also find me immersed in games of Go, Chess or D&D. 

But only when I’m not making music. Of course. Still then, all of my interests have shaped the way I think — and, in turn, the way I compose.

The instrument of my life is the piano. I play it since the age of six, the first 16 in music school with my dedicated teacher Margarete Gerlach (and also thanks to the city of Vienna to the incredible publicly funded music schools!). My piano playing saw multiyear interruptions due to travel and workload. But in recent years I’ve found the time to pursue my passion again—with renewed joy. I devote many of my evenings to developing, refining and rehearsing my piano miniatures. 

I inhale music wherever I find it. In the echoes of Renaissance motets or contemporary cluster music with my local choir, which I joined 30 years ago. In music running in the background of a fashion store which I Shazaam for later enjoyment. Or live concerts - there are so many gifted artists in the world! 

My music is a dialogue between tradition and exploration. Rooted in classical and romantic traditions, it ventures into jazz, rock, and pop.  I love to experiment—playing with unexpected tonalities, syncopated rhythms, and dynamic contrasts. My compositions often evolve through shifts in tension, rhythmic complexity, and harmonic modulations, sometimes venturing across the circle of fifths. I’m also diving deeper into the art of mastering, an area where I still have much to explore.

If my music speaks to you, I’d love for you to follow my journey. Follow along, share your thoughts—whether in appreciation or in challenge. Music, after all, is meant to be a conversation—and I’d love to hear your voice in it.
Enjoy your time with my music! 
Contact: konrad.spittelberg@gmail.com
Spotify and Youtube: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co

Konrad Spittelberg

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