for bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, baritone and fixed media [14′]
Commissioned by Ensemble Loadbang · Supported by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation
First performance: 18 April 2019, New York. Ensemble Loadbang
© Sikorski, Hamburg · score: sik 8851
432 Park Avenue. Hommage à NYC
I am fascinated by New York City, especially because it is very different from the rest of the USA. NYC is like a nation of its own, its own world. In September 2015, I walked through Central Park, discovering a very tall and extremely narrow building between the trees that rises into the sky like a single spaghetto. This building is 426 meters high, constructed only for residential use. It stands out in classic beauty and elegance. At the same time it is an expression of capitalist decadence. The prices are so exorbitantly high that only very rich people can purchase an apartment. The investor advertises with tranquility, because the inhabitants are usually absent. I use texts from the website of this building for the singer. At the same time, the baritone plays a MIDI synthesizer with original sounds from the city of New York. Together with the sonority of the three winds, this creates a portrait of New York.
Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf
432 Park Avenue. Hommage à NYC
Ensemble Loadbang