Karlheinz Essl

New Music by Karlheinz Essl

Music EN ↓ 328 episodes

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 exc...

Author

Karlheinz Essl

Category

Music

Podcast website

www.essl.at

Latest episode

Jun 23, 2026

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Episodes

inside/out (2006) - for flute and live-electronics 01.11.2006

For inside flute, live-electronics and 4-channel sound projection. Recorded by Cordula Bösze (flute) and Karlheinz Essl (live-electronics) at Studio kHz. Info: http://www.essl.at/works/inside-out.html

Deconstructing Mozart (2006)- for church organ and electronics (BINAURAL) 23.09.2006

Binaurale Stereoversion der Dolby 5.1 Surround-Aufnahme des ganzen 45-minütigen Stücks, das am 23.9.2006 im Dom von St. Pölten uraufgeführt wurde. Eine Kooperation von Karlheinz Essl mit Franz Danksagmüller. Für den räumlichen Hörgenuss unbedingt Kopfhörer verwenden! Die langsame Einleitung zu Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts "Dissonanzenquartett" KV 465 ist voller harmonischer Kühnheiten, die nicht nur M...

Berliner Luft (2006) - generative sound environment for an installation of Johanes Zechner 14.09.2006

Generative sound environment for Johanes Zechner's exhibition "TRAUM UND TRAUMA: Berlinkoffer" at the Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg, shown in fall 2006. Programmed in MaxMSP. http://www.essl.at/works/berliner-luft.html

AIR BORNE (2006)- generative sound environment in collaboration with Stefan Krüskemper 09.09.2006

A virtual walk through the AIR BORNE environment by Stefan Krüskemper with a generative sound environment composed by Karlheinz Essl. Permanent art installation at the campus of the Humboldt University in Berlin-Adlershof. http://www.essl.at/works/airborne.html http://www.air-borne.info In the past, the site of today’s aerodynamic park in Berlin-Adlershof was a place filled with technical sounds....

Panta Rhei (2006) - generative sound environment for Jürgen Messensee 30.06.2006

Excerpt of an aquatic soundscape for Jürgen Messensee's installation „Piscina di Venere” in the rotunda of the Essl Museum in Vienna/Klosterneuburg (Austria) in 2006. Info: http://www.essl.at/works/panta-rhei.html Water in its diverse aggregate states and forms of flowing is the basic acoustic material for this piece, which is permanently scanned, altered in its corporality and continuously recomp...

Von Hirschen und Röhren (2006) - generative sound environment for sound sculpture by Beat Zoderer 23.04.2006

In 2006, Swiss artist Beat Zoderer and Austrian composer Karlheinz Essl were commissioned to create a collaborative work for the music festival Stanser Musiktage. In an abandoned repository situated in the heart of the Swiss alps, both artists were setting up a room installation made of sewer pipes. Those plastic parts of different lengths were equipped with funnel speakers driven by a customized...

nature / morte (2006) - generative sound environment for Günther Brus 17.02.2006

Generative sound installation for a photo documentation on Viennese Actionism. Part of the exhibition "AUSTRIA: 1900-2000" at the Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg. The sound-environment nature / morte has been conceived by the composer Karlheinz Essl especially for this exhibition. An artificial world of sound, generated by a computer programme written in Max/MSP in realtime, intends to “earthen“ the...

Intervention (1995) - for 4 orchestra groups in an reverberant hall - BINAURAL 22.01.2006

Performed by ensemble xx. jahrhundert at the Austrian Parliament in Vienna on 22 Jan 2006. Binaural recording in surround sound (3D audio)- listen with headphones! Die Nachhallzeiten des marmornen Parlamentsraumes (12 Sekunden) spielen bei diesem Werk eine entscheidende Rolle. Jeweils sechs Musiker sitzen in den Ecken des Raumes und erzeugen einen sich wölbenden Klangraum. Die Hüllkurve des Halls...

Faites vos jeux! (2004) - mobile for 4 cellos and 4 trombones 22.01.2006

Performed by exxj at the Austrian Parliament on 22 Jan 2006. Dieses Klangspiel für räumlich verteilte Instrumentalisten ist nicht in Partiturform, sondern als Kartenspiel notiert. Es besteht aus 48 Einzelkarten mit unterschiedlichen musikalischen Motiven. Jeder Musiker erhält einen eigenen Kartenstapel, der vor dem Spiel gemischt wird. Dadurch wird eine zufällige Abfolge des musikalischen Material...

ULURU (2004) - generative sound environment for Aboriginal Art 02.04.2004

Excerpt of a generative sound environment for an exhibition of contemporary Aboriginal Art, shown at the Austrian Essl Museum (Klosterneuburg 2004). This piece is based on field recordings of an Aboriginal painting performance and original sounds from the Australian bush. A computer program written in Max splits the sound material into tiny grains that are re-combined by generative composition alg...

STREAMING (2003)- for 4 ensemble groups, 4 conductors, light system and a reverberant hall 02.12.2003

STREAMING für 4 räumlich verteilte Ensemblegruppen und Hallraum wurde aus Anlass des Festivals musik aktuell eigens für die SchülerInnen der Musikschule Klosterneuburg komponiert. Dieses Werk hat keine Partitur, sondern besteht aus verschiedenen Spielmodellen, die von den Musikern improvisatorisch umgesetzt werden. In den Raumecken eines leerstehenden Depots haben vier Ensemblegruppen à vier Spiel...

Segreto Spaziale - Spiegelkabinett(2003) - for violin and live-electronics 13.06.2003

Excerpt, performed by Ernst Kovacic (violin) and Karlheinz Essl (live-electronics) at Minoritenkirche Krems on 13 June 2003. "Segreto Spaziale" ist eine einstündige Klangreise als Spiegel des wechselhaften seelischen Prozesses, in dem der Mensch „zwischen Memento mori und Halleluja“ zu sich selbst findet. Karlheinz Essl hat diese Idee Ernst Kovacic’ in ein neunteiliges kompositorisches und dramatu...

Carl Mayer Scenar(t)ist - Berlin (2003) - sound track 24.03.2003

Sound track for the video monitoring project "Carl Mayer - Scenar(t)ist" by ZONE (Vienna) for the film festival DIAOGONALE (Graz 2003). Carl Mayer verfasst seine Drehbücher in einem höchst eigenwilligen Stil, mit dem er Stimmungen und Handlungsabläufe in einer äußerst verdichteten Weise ausdrücken konnte. Diese Textkonzentrate erscheinen wie musikalische Spielanweisungen: kompakt und mehrdeutig, o...

Partikel-Bewegungen (1991) - music mobile for Harald Naegeli 01.01.2003

Version for three recorders, performed by Helge Stiegler (2003) Die Musik versteht sich als Reflexion auf die Werke von Harald Naegeli, dem "Sprayer von Zürich". Es gibt in diesem Stück keine Partitur, die einen reproduzierbaren zeitlichen Verlauf festschreibt; die Musiker spielen aus von einander unabhängigen, nicht-synchronisierten Einzelstimmen. Erst durch das bewußte Reagieren auf die Klänge d...

ON FIRE (2001) - generative sound environment for Fabrizio Plessi 28.11.2001

ON FIRE is a sonic intervention by Karlheinz Essl for the space-filling installation ONLY FIRE by the Venezian artist Fabrizio Plessi. It was presented at the Essl Museum between 28.11.2001 and 17.02.2002. The sound of a fire blaze which is permanently filling the space is enriched with sonic gestures that are generated in real time by a special version of Karlheinz Essl's sound scape generator fL...

PRANK (2001) - electronic sound performance 01.05.2001

A track from Karlheinz Essl's CD ©RUDE (released 2001) with electronic music, performed live on his computer-based instrument m@ze°2 at Kornhaus Bern (CH). 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, respond...

da braccio (2000) - for viola d'amore and computer 24.11.2000

Live recording of the world premier, performed by Garth Knox (viola d'amore) and Karlheinz Essl (live-electronics) at REM/SE Bludenz, Austria on 24 Nov 2000. "da braccio" not only offer the listener the fruit of a fully-seasoned interactive computer musician and composer, but also that of an enormously experienced instrumentalist, and in so doing opens up another can of worms in today's classical...

four2eight (2000) - for 4 trumpets and 4 trombones in a reverberant hall 15.09.2000

Performed by Mürztaler Sinfonieorchester (dir. Ernst Smole) at the cathedral of Neuberg/Mürz on 15 Sep 2000. Vier Gruppen zu je einer Trompete und einer Posaune sind in den vier Ecken eines großen und sehr halligen Aufführungsraumes um die Zuhörer herum positioniert. Die Komposition gewinnt ihre akustischen Dimensionen aus der Selbstbeschränkung, die sich der Komponist bei der Wahl des Instrumenta...

The Untempered Piano (2000) - interactive sound installation for J. S. Bach 09.04.2000

The Untempered Piano is an interactive sound installation that has been created by Karlheinz Essl for the Johann Sebastian Bach exhibition at the Museum of Technology in Vienna, Austria in 2000. Info: http://www.essl.at/works/untempered_piano.html By clicking with the mouse on the colored circles and the piano keyboard on the computer screen, the user can compose an individual version of this infi...

Lexikon-Sonate (1999) - version for computer-controlled piano and an improvising pianist 10.02.1999

Interactive realtime composition for computer-controlled piano. Version for Yamaha Disklavier (performed by Karlheinz Essl via his computer) and a Steinway Grand Piano (played by Manon Liu Winter). Performed at "7. Wiener Tage für zeitgenössische Klaviermusik" at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna on 10 Feb 1999.

Champ d'Action (1998) - realtime composition for computer-controlled ensemble 06.10.1998

Recording of a live performance at Radiokulturhaus Vienna on 6 Oct 1998 with Burkhard Stangl (e-git), Werner Dafeldecker (double bass), Gene Coleman (bass clarinet), Radu Malfatti (trombone), Elisabeth Flunger (percussion), Mary Oliver (violin), Richard Barrett (sampler) and Karlheinz Essl (conductor). Champ d'Action is a realtime-composition for an instrumental ensemble. The musicians do not repr...

Klanglabyrinth (1992) - sound installation 01.01.1995

Infinite and interactive sound installation for the IRCAM Musical Workstation (ISPW) or 2 CD-Players. Demo version. Started in 1992 at IRCAM, Paris. Info: http://www.essl.at/works/klanglab.html

In's Offene! (1991) - for flute, clarinet, violin and cello 28.02.1992

Dedicated to my son Simon (* 1991) Performed by Ensemble 86 on 28 Feb 1992 at SCHÖMER-HAUS Klosterneuburg. Info: http://www.essl.at/works/ins-offene.html "Todverfallen ist die Geborgenheit; Chance zu überleben hat einzig das Ungeschirmte, Offene." (Theodor W. Adorno)

Space Art Transmission (1991) - for 3 percussionists and voice 31.10.1991

Performed by Les Guetteurs des Sons (dir. Karlheinz Essl) and Margarete Jungen (voice). Info: http://www.essl.at/works/space-art.html Diese Komposition basiert auf einem "packet radio code", der ein Jahr lang von der russischen Raumstation MIR ausgesandt wird, und aus dem die wichtigsten kompositorischen Parameter abgeleitet sind. Dieser Code, der im Zuge des von Richard Kriesche initiierten ARTSA...

In Girum. Imus. Nocte (1991) - for large orchestra 11.10.1991

Performed by the ORF Symphonieorchester (dir. Mario Venzago) at the festival Musikprotokoll on 11 Oct 1991 in Graz. In Essls Orchesterstück werden die vom Computer errechneten zeitlichen Strukturen einer Handvoll musikalischer Charaktere unter des Komponisten Feder zu einer umfangreichen Klangwelt aufgefächert. Diese skelettartigen Charaktere einer heißt "Schatten" und besteht in Impuls und klangl...

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