European Bridges Ensemble
Encyclopedia
The European Bridges Ensemble (EBE) was established for Internet and network
music performance. Its current members are the five performers Kai Niggemann (Münster
, Germany), Ádám Siska (Budapest
, Hungary), Johannes Kretz
(Vienna
, Austria), Andrea Szigetvári (Dunakeszi
, Hungary), Ivana Ognjanović (Belgrade
, Serbia), the conductor and software designer Georg Hajdu
(Hamburg
, Germany), and video artist Stewart Collinson (Lincoln
, England).
Using the term bridges as a metaphor, the Ensemble attempts to bridge cultures, regions, locations and individuals, each with their specific history. Particularly, Europe with its historical and ethnic diversity has repeatedly gone through massive changes separating and reuniting people often living in close vicinity. The aim is to further explore the potential of taking participating musicians and artists out of their political and social isolation by creating virtual communities of like-minded artists united by their creativity and mutual interests.
The first Bridges concert on 17 June 2005 (simultaneously in Münster
, Stuttgart
and Vienna
) brought together musicians from the former West (Austria
and Germany) and East (Hungary
and Serbia
) – all connected by the river Danube
– and thus demonstrated the potential of Internet performance as a means to overcome national borders and political single-mindedness.
, SLOrk, The Hub
, or PowerBooks_UnPlugged. The extent to which network technology is utilised in performance can vary. EBE's implementation of network music involves the use of software called Quintet.net which was developed by the ensemble's co-founder, Georg Hajdu
, using Max/MSP/Jitter
.
The basic concept of Quintet.net is that there's a conductor and several (up to five) performers (or client
s), connected to each other using a central server
. The clients get instructions from the conductor. These instructions can be messages sent to the clients, but usually it is a score
part to play. On the other hand, control data created by the clients are sent back to the network. This latter, combined with the fact that an unlimited number of clients can connect to the server in a so called listener mode (that is, a mode where the client only receives data but doesn't send control data back) lets anyone connect to the server and listen the music being played in real time.
Since the network is only used to send control data (using Open Sound Control) and the music itself is always created locally, the normal household bandwidths
are generally sufficient to transmit all the data needed for the platform. This means that the performers don't need to be physically present at the performance's place, but can play from anywhere in the Globe
(this is a big difference compared to the usual concept of musical performance, and at the time when the Ensemble was founded, the EBE was the only group playing music in a Wide Area Network
). As an example, during the first concert of the Ensemble the performers were located at four different cities of Europe (Budapest
, Münster
, Stuttgart
and Vienna
), and the concert itself was broadcasted at three different concert halls (and, of course, the Internet) in Münster
, Stuttgart
and Vienna
at the same time.
After video artist Stewart Collinson joined the EBE, the original Quintet.net concept was expanded with a new tool called Viewer, which is an extension that makes Quintet.net able to manage video mixing as well.
The first music written for EBE was Bridges, a work of five movements composed by Kai Niggemann, Marlon Schumacher, Johannes Kretz
, Andrea Szigetvári and Ivana Ognjanović in 2005. Each movement was composed by a different musician, and every movement reflects somehow on the city where the actual musician lives (in other words, there is a movement about Münster
, Stuttgart
, Vienna
, Budapest
and Belgrade
). It was first performed on the Internet with live broadcast in Münster
, Stuttgart
and Vienna
on 17 June 2005.
A similar piece is Quintessence, also with five movements, each one about one of the five elements. The composers are Kai Niggemann (Earth
), Marlon Schumacher (Fire
), Johannes Kretz
(Quintessence
), Andrea Szigetvári (Air
) and Ivana Ognjanović (Water
). It was composed in 2007 and first played during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007.
Ivresse '84 (composed by Ensemble leader Georg Hajdu
in 2007) is the first piece for the group where only four laptop players are needed as the fifth player is replaced by a violinist. The piece reflects on the riot that happened during the premiere of the first two books of John Cage
's Freeman Etudes
in Ivrea
(Turin
), in 1984. It was first performed during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007 by János Négyesy
, the same violinist who played the Etudes on the original premiere.
The first piece having also text spoken was Keep Calm and Carry On. The text is a dialogue written by Maria Popara and Kai Niggemann using the typical slang of chat. The music was composed by Kai Niggemann in 2007, and the piece was also first performed during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007.
Anne La Berge
, a composer and flutist composed Brokenheart for LOOS Ensemble and EBE in 2007, where the goal was to write a piece where the laptop ensemble plays together with an acoustic ensemble (including flute, piano and percussion). It was first played during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007.
In 2007 the Ensemble was invited to play at a concert of Projekt Bipolar in Berlin on 13 October 2007. There was a young composers' competition "Hommage à György Ligeti
" among the activities of Projekt Bipolar, and the prizes were given to the winners also during this concert. For this event, EBE commissioned a piece from Sascha Lino Lemke. Netze spinnen # Spinnennetze is a work where the five players are split in space. The material used by Lemke relates in several ways to Ligeti
's music, including the use of metronomes and other polyrhythmical solutions.
Ensemble member Ádám Siska wrote his piece 185 in 2008 (first performed during the Hamburger Klangwerktage 2008 Festival on 26 November 2008). This was the first piece in the repertoire not using sampling techniques at all.
The Ensemble created also transcriptions of two pieces of John Cage
. One was Five (composed in 1988, EBE version first performed on 27 April, 2006), the other was Radio Music (composed in 1956, transcribed by Georg Hajdu
in 2008, EBE version first performed on 26 November 2008).
In 2010 EBE was invited to perform a concert in collaboration with Marek Chołoniewski as part of the European Capital of Culture
program taking place in Pécs
, Hungary that year.
and performers Ivana Ognjanović and Marlon Schumacher were in Stuttgart
, Kai Niggemann in Münster
, Johannes Kretz in Wien
and Andrea Szigetvári in Budapest
. The piece played was Bridges, and it demonstrated that the idea of playing music via Wide Area Network
is possible. This same piece was performed again on a concert a year later, where the whole Ensemble played in a Local Area Network
at the Making New Waves 2006 festival in Budapest
, Hungary.
This concert was followed by a long pause: next time the band appeared again on stage was only in early Autumn 2007 at the Music in the Global Village Conference Budapest
(this was the first international conference dedicated exclusively to network music composition and performance). Here, the opening concert was played by the EBE, together with Anne La Berge
and the LOOS Ensemble. The conference itself was part of Projekt-Bipolar, a two years long German-Hungarian cultural programme. The Ensemble had two more concerts organized by members of Projekt-Bipolar during October 2007 in Berlin, Germany. These included the closing concert of Projekt Bipolar and also the closing event of a young composers' competition.
During 2008 the band played on five concerts at three festivals: two subsequent nights during the ICMC
2008 at the Whitla Hall in Belfast
., two concerts at the Klangwerktage 2008 festival in Hamburg
(from which one was a Wide Area Network
concert with ensemble member Johannes Kretz
playing from Krems, Austria) and one at Making New Waves 2008 festival in Budapest
, Hungary. After this last concert, the Hungarian Television
made an interview presenting the Ensemble.
In 2009 the Ensemble had concerts in Prague at the Enter4 festival, the Klangwerktage 2009 festival in Hamburg
, the Making New Waves 2009 festival with its second edition of the Music in the Global Village conference and a Wide Area Network
concert at the SIGGRAPH
Asia conference with ensemble members playing from Yokohama, Lincoln, Budapest and Belgrade.
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
music performance. Its current members are the five performers Kai Niggemann (Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Germany), Ádám Siska (Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary), Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz is an Austrian composer and teacher for computer music and music theory. He lives and works in Vienna and created various compositions in the fields of new music, among those: music theatre, orchestra works, chamber music, sacred music and works with electronics.- education :*...
(Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria), Andrea Szigetvári (Dunakeszi
Dunakeszi
Dunakeszi is a city in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary. It is located to the north of Budapest on the left bank of the Danube.- External links :* *...
, Hungary), Ivana Ognjanović (Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia), the conductor and software designer Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu is a German composer of Hungarian descent. His work is dedicated to the combination of music, science and computer technology. He is noted for his opera Der Sprung – Beschreibung einer Oper and the network music performance environment Quintet.net.-Biography:Hajdu was born to Hungarian...
(Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany), and video artist Stewart Collinson (Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, England).
Using the term bridges as a metaphor, the Ensemble attempts to bridge cultures, regions, locations and individuals, each with their specific history. Particularly, Europe with its historical and ethnic diversity has repeatedly gone through massive changes separating and reuniting people often living in close vicinity. The aim is to further explore the potential of taking participating musicians and artists out of their political and social isolation by creating virtual communities of like-minded artists united by their creativity and mutual interests.
The first Bridges concert on 17 June 2005 (simultaneously in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) brought together musicians from the former West (Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Germany) and East (Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
) – all connected by the river Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
– and thus demonstrated the potential of Internet performance as a means to overcome national borders and political single-mindedness.
Network Music and Quintet.net
The term "network music" is often used to refer to musical activities that utilise computer network technologies in a performative context. Network music can be performed by laptop ensembles, for example PLOrkPLOrk
The Princeton Laptop Orchestra is a Princeton University ensemble of computer based meta-instruments. It is the first ensemble of its kind in the history of computer music, both in scale and in approach.-Background:...
, SLOrk, The Hub
The Hub (band)
The Hub is an American "computer network music" ensemble consisting of John Bischoff, Tim Perkis, Chris Brown, Scot Gresham-Lancaster, Mark Trayle and Phil Stone....
, or PowerBooks_UnPlugged. The extent to which network technology is utilised in performance can vary. EBE's implementation of network music involves the use of software called Quintet.net which was developed by the ensemble's co-founder, Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu is a German composer of Hungarian descent. His work is dedicated to the combination of music, science and computer technology. He is noted for his opera Der Sprung – Beschreibung einer Oper and the network music performance environment Quintet.net.-Biography:Hajdu was born to Hungarian...
, using Max/MSP/Jitter
Max (software)
Max is a visual programming language for music and multimedia developed and maintained by San Francisco-based software company Cycling '74. During its 20-year history, it has been widely used by composers, performers, software designers, researchers, and artists for creating innovative recordings,...
.
The basic concept of Quintet.net is that there's a conductor and several (up to five) performers (or client
Client (computing)
A client is an application or system that accesses a service made available by a server. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network....
s), connected to each other using a central server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
. The clients get instructions from the conductor. These instructions can be messages sent to the clients, but usually it is a score
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
part to play. On the other hand, control data created by the clients are sent back to the network. This latter, combined with the fact that an unlimited number of clients can connect to the server in a so called listener mode (that is, a mode where the client only receives data but doesn't send control data back) lets anyone connect to the server and listen the music being played in real time.
Since the network is only used to send control data (using Open Sound Control) and the music itself is always created locally, the normal household bandwidths
Bandwidth (computing)
In computer networking and computer science, bandwidth, network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits/second or multiples of it .Note that in textbooks on wireless communications, modem data transmission,...
are generally sufficient to transmit all the data needed for the platform. This means that the performers don't need to be physically present at the performance's place, but can play from anywhere in the Globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
(this is a big difference compared to the usual concept of musical performance, and at the time when the Ensemble was founded, the EBE was the only group playing music in a Wide Area Network
Wide area network
A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...
). As an example, during the first concert of the Ensemble the performers were located at four different cities of Europe (Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
), and the concert itself was broadcasted at three different concert halls (and, of course, the Internet) in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
at the same time.
After video artist Stewart Collinson joined the EBE, the original Quintet.net concept was expanded with a new tool called Viewer, which is an extension that makes Quintet.net able to manage video mixing as well.
Repertoire
The ensemble plays pieces mostly written by the members of the group itself, but music by outside composers is played occasionally as well.| Title | Composer | First Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Bridges (2005) | K. Niggemann, M. Schumacher, J. Kretz Johannes Kretz Johannes Kretz is an Austrian composer and teacher for computer music and music theory. He lives and works in Vienna and created various compositions in the fields of new music, among those: music theatre, orchestra works, chamber music, sacred music and works with electronics.- education :*... , A. Szigetvári, I. Ognjanović |
17 June 2005, Münster Münster Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland... , Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Vienna |
| Quintessence (2007) | K. Niggemann, M. Schumacher, J. Kretz Johannes Kretz Johannes Kretz is an Austrian composer and teacher for computer music and music theory. He lives and works in Vienna and created various compositions in the fields of new music, among those: music theatre, orchestra works, chamber music, sacred music and works with electronics.- education :*... , A. Szigetvári, I. Ognjanović |
6 September 2007, Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
| Ivresse '84 (2007) | Georg Hajdu Georg Hajdu Georg Hajdu is a German composer of Hungarian descent. His work is dedicated to the combination of music, science and computer technology. He is noted for his opera Der Sprung – Beschreibung einer Oper and the network music performance environment Quintet.net.-Biography:Hajdu was born to Hungarian... |
6 September 2007, Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
| Keep Calm and Carry On (2007) | Kai Niggemann (music & text), Maria Popara (text) | 6 September 2007, Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
| Brokenheart (2007) | Anne La Berge Anne La Berge Anne La Berge is a flautist, composer and improviser, currently resident in Amsterdam. Her most recent performances bring together the elements on which her reputation is based: a virtuosic command of her instrument, a penchant for improvising microtonal textures and melodies, and an array of... |
6 September 2007, Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
| Netze spinnen # Spinnennetze (2007) | Sascha Lino Lemke | 13 October 2007, Berlin |
| Radio Music (1956/2008) | John Cage John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde... , Georg Hajdu Georg Hajdu Georg Hajdu is a German composer of Hungarian descent. His work is dedicated to the combination of music, science and computer technology. He is noted for his opera Der Sprung – Beschreibung einer Oper and the network music performance environment Quintet.net.-Biography:Hajdu was born to Hungarian... |
26 November 2008, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| 185 (2008) | Ádám Siska | 26 November 2008, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| Pundit Bingo (2009) | Daniel Iglesia | 23 November 2009, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| f0choir (2009) | Fredrik Olofsson | 23 November 2009, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| isms (2009) | Jacob Sello | 23 November 2009, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| A few plateaus (2009) | Alexander Schubert | 23 November 2009, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| Two Arias (May I Feel and Kiss Me) and Encore (2009) | Johannes Kretz | 23 November 2009, Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
| D(é)RIVE (2010) | K. Niggemann, Á. Siska, J. Kretz Johannes Kretz Johannes Kretz is an Austrian composer and teacher for computer music and music theory. He lives and works in Vienna and created various compositions in the fields of new music, among those: music theatre, orchestra works, chamber music, sacred music and works with electronics.- education :*... , A. Szigetvári, I. Ognjanović |
10 December 2010, Pécs Pécs Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county... |
The first music written for EBE was Bridges, a work of five movements composed by Kai Niggemann, Marlon Schumacher, Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz is an Austrian composer and teacher for computer music and music theory. He lives and works in Vienna and created various compositions in the fields of new music, among those: music theatre, orchestra works, chamber music, sacred music and works with electronics.- education :*...
, Andrea Szigetvári and Ivana Ognjanović in 2005. Each movement was composed by a different musician, and every movement reflects somehow on the city where the actual musician lives (in other words, there is a movement about Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
). It was first performed on the Internet with live broadcast in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 17 June 2005.
A similar piece is Quintessence, also with five movements, each one about one of the five elements. The composers are Kai Niggemann (Earth
Earth (classical element)
Earth, home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.-European tradition:Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the...
), Marlon Schumacher (Fire
Fire (classical element)
Fire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
), Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz is an Austrian composer and teacher for computer music and music theory. He lives and works in Vienna and created various compositions in the fields of new music, among those: music theatre, orchestra works, chamber music, sacred music and works with electronics.- education :*...
(Quintessence
Aether (classical element)
According to ancient and medieval science aether , also spelled æther or ether, is the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere.-Mythological origins:...
), Andrea Szigetvári (Air
Air (classical element)
Air is often seen as a universal power or pure substance. Its supposed fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and spirit, all derived from the Latin spirare.-Greek and Roman tradition:...
) and Ivana Ognjanović (Water
Water (classical element)
Water is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
). It was composed in 2007 and first played during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007.
Ivresse '84 (composed by Ensemble leader Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu is a German composer of Hungarian descent. His work is dedicated to the combination of music, science and computer technology. He is noted for his opera Der Sprung – Beschreibung einer Oper and the network music performance environment Quintet.net.-Biography:Hajdu was born to Hungarian...
in 2007) is the first piece for the group where only four laptop players are needed as the fifth player is replaced by a violinist. The piece reflects on the riot that happened during the premiere of the first two books of John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
's Freeman Etudes
Freeman Etudes
Freeman Etudes are a set of etudes for solo violin composed by John Cage. Like the earlier Etudes Australes for piano, these works are incredibly complex, nearly impossible to perform, and represented for Cage the "practicality of the impossible" as an answer to the notion that resolving the...
in Ivrea
Ivrea
Ivrea is a town and comune of the province of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley , it straddles the Dora Baltea and is regarded as the centre of the Canavese area. Ivrea lies in a basin that, in prehistoric times, formed a great lake...
(Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
), in 1984. It was first performed during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007 by János Négyesy
János Négyesy
János Négyesy is a Hungarian violinist with a particular interest in contemporary music. He performed world premieres of numerous works, the first two books of the Freeman Etudes by American composer John Cage among others...
, the same violinist who played the Etudes on the original premiere.
The first piece having also text spoken was Keep Calm and Carry On. The text is a dialogue written by Maria Popara and Kai Niggemann using the typical slang of chat. The music was composed by Kai Niggemann in 2007, and the piece was also first performed during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007.
Anne La Berge
Anne La Berge
Anne La Berge is a flautist, composer and improviser, currently resident in Amsterdam. Her most recent performances bring together the elements on which her reputation is based: a virtuosic command of her instrument, a penchant for improvising microtonal textures and melodies, and an array of...
, a composer and flutist composed Brokenheart for LOOS Ensemble and EBE in 2007, where the goal was to write a piece where the laptop ensemble plays together with an acoustic ensemble (including flute, piano and percussion). It was first played during the Music in the Global Village conference on 6 September 2007.
In 2007 the Ensemble was invited to play at a concert of Projekt Bipolar in Berlin on 13 October 2007. There was a young composers' competition "Hommage à György Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
" among the activities of Projekt Bipolar, and the prizes were given to the winners also during this concert. For this event, EBE commissioned a piece from Sascha Lino Lemke. Netze spinnen # Spinnennetze is a work where the five players are split in space. The material used by Lemke relates in several ways to Ligeti
György Ligeti
György Sándor Ligeti was a composer of contemporary classical music. Born in a Hungarian Jewish family in Transylvania, Romania, he briefly lived in Hungary before becoming an Austrian citizen.-Early life:...
's music, including the use of metronomes and other polyrhythmical solutions.
Ensemble member Ádám Siska wrote his piece 185 in 2008 (first performed during the Hamburger Klangwerktage 2008 Festival on 26 November 2008). This was the first piece in the repertoire not using sampling techniques at all.
The Ensemble created also transcriptions of two pieces of John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
. One was Five (composed in 1988, EBE version first performed on 27 April, 2006), the other was Radio Music (composed in 1956, transcribed by Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu is a German composer of Hungarian descent. His work is dedicated to the combination of music, science and computer technology. He is noted for his opera Der Sprung – Beschreibung einer Oper and the network music performance environment Quintet.net.-Biography:Hajdu was born to Hungarian...
in 2008, EBE version first performed on 26 November 2008).
In 2010 EBE was invited to perform a concert in collaboration with Marek Chołoniewski as part of the European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
program taking place in Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
, Hungary that year.
Concerts
The founding event of EBE was the Lange Musik Nacht on 17 June 2005. Conductor Georg HajduGeorg Hajdu
Georg Hajdu is a German composer of Hungarian descent. His work is dedicated to the combination of music, science and computer technology. He is noted for his opera Der Sprung – Beschreibung einer Oper and the network music performance environment Quintet.net.-Biography:Hajdu was born to Hungarian...
and performers Ivana Ognjanović and Marlon Schumacher were in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Kai Niggemann in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Johannes Kretz in Wien
Wien
Wien is the German language name for Vienna, the city and federal state in Austria.* Wien , in Vienna, Austria* Theater an der Wien, a theater in Vienna located at the former river WienWien may also refer to:...
and Andrea Szigetvári in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. The piece played was Bridges, and it demonstrated that the idea of playing music via Wide Area Network
Wide area network
A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...
is possible. This same piece was performed again on a concert a year later, where the whole Ensemble played in a Local Area Network
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
at the Making New Waves 2006 festival in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary.
This concert was followed by a long pause: next time the band appeared again on stage was only in early Autumn 2007 at the Music in the Global Village Conference Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(this was the first international conference dedicated exclusively to network music composition and performance). Here, the opening concert was played by the EBE, together with Anne La Berge
Anne La Berge
Anne La Berge is a flautist, composer and improviser, currently resident in Amsterdam. Her most recent performances bring together the elements on which her reputation is based: a virtuosic command of her instrument, a penchant for improvising microtonal textures and melodies, and an array of...
and the LOOS Ensemble. The conference itself was part of Projekt-Bipolar, a two years long German-Hungarian cultural programme. The Ensemble had two more concerts organized by members of Projekt-Bipolar during October 2007 in Berlin, Germany. These included the closing concert of Projekt Bipolar and also the closing event of a young composers' competition.
During 2008 the band played on five concerts at three festivals: two subsequent nights during the ICMC
International Computer Music Conference
The International Computer Music Conference is a yearly international conference for computer music researchers and composers. It is the annual conference of the International Computer Music Association ....
2008 at the Whitla Hall in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
., two concerts at the Klangwerktage 2008 festival in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
(from which one was a Wide Area Network
Wide area network
A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...
concert with ensemble member Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz
Johannes Kretz is an Austrian composer and teacher for computer music and music theory. He lives and works in Vienna and created various compositions in the fields of new music, among those: music theatre, orchestra works, chamber music, sacred music and works with electronics.- education :*...
playing from Krems, Austria) and one at Making New Waves 2008 festival in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary. After this last concert, the Hungarian Television
Magyar Televízió
Magyar Televízió is the Hungarian national public service television company, with three TV channels, called m1 , m2 and m3....
made an interview presenting the Ensemble.
In 2009 the Ensemble had concerts in Prague at the Enter4 festival, the Klangwerktage 2009 festival in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, the Making New Waves 2009 festival with its second edition of the Music in the Global Village conference and a Wide Area Network
Wide area network
A wide area network is a telecommunication network that covers a broad area . Business and government entities utilize WANs to relay data among employees, clients, buyers, and suppliers from various geographical locations...
concert at the SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. The first SIGGRAPH conference was in 1974. The conference is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals...
Asia conference with ensemble members playing from Yokohama, Lincoln, Budapest and Belgrade.