Flow for Ensembles

Lessons for ensembles address the following topics: melting sound, rhythmic orientation, musical idea. A careful cultivation of those three aspects leads ensembles into intense flow states. This generates high quality sound and allows for vivid and lively interpretation.

Melting sound

The subtle melting of sound is based on the physical phenomenon that two notes of any interval always have a certain number of overtones in common. Ensembles which are sensitized to this phenomenon and which unite their parts consistently in the overtone range generate sound clouds of such intensity that they have the power to move people deeply.

Even highly dissonant sounds which can be easily irritating if not carefully cultivated, unfold their own fascinating beauty through this process. Additionally, by cultivating the sound, the musical meaning of a melody or phrase reveals itself in a completely natural way.

Rhythmic orientation

Rhythmic orientation in ensembles leads to a high level of security and coordination for all parts. It is important to grasp the breathing, living pulse of a melody or phrase. Mutual attunement to this level of higher order generates an extraordinarily hypnotic effect and leads to great clarity and precision.

Musical idea

Sensitizing an ensemble to the deeper meaning of a piece and carefully developing a mutual vision produces a high degree of unanimity and intensifies the performance. Ensembles which use this idea as their model provoke vivid images in the listeners’ mind. The emotional meaning of a melody or phrase must always be gleaned from the music itself by listening and feeling.

In terms of synergetics, the three dimensions - melting sound, pulse and musical idea - are characteristic order-parameters. The deliberate cultivation of these parameters can lift the performance of an ensemble to a higher order and leads the ensemble into a state of self-organization.
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