Dieter Schnebel: Blinzeln

Blinking (1995, Version 2017) for 6 performers
from the cycle Schau-Stücke | Show Pieces (1995/99)

Dieter Schnebel described the cycle Schau-Stücke as ‘body etudes for voices and gestures’ in which ‘body movements and vocal expressions are connected and related – because one accompanies the other, or provides a counterpoint, or harmonises with it like in a polyphonic composition.’ Written especially for the Maulwerker, the six virtuoso showpieces are based on vocal-motor types: in Blinzeln, the six performers are staged as if in a family photo, while strictly rhythmic twitches run through their bodies – tics in their faces, torsos and limbs. For the performance in AUGENLIEDER 2017, the composer added a coda to the piece.