schwarzenberg

Bernhard Gàl
For Piano (2013)

Duration: ca. 5’
Instrumentation: Piano

Premiere:
Kunstverein Alte Schmiede, Vienna, May 29th, 2013
Performer: Belma Beslic-Gal

With schwarzenberg, Gal continues his artistic exploration of the piano. The title ‘schwarzenberg’
(i.e. black mountain) refers a.o. to the ‘dark side’ of the piano keyboard which is played exclusively throughout the piece. A related conceptual idea can be found in Mount Blanc (2002), a piece which only makes use of the white keys of the piano.

However, ‘black mountains’ stand for much more: it may refer to a) one lesser known local mountain near the city of Salzburg (see image); b) to the south-eastern European country Crna Gora (also known as Montenegro), with its rugged and sometimes obscure mountain formations; and finally c) to the city of Black Mountain, North Carolina, home of the legendary Black Mountain College between 1933 and 1957, at that time a focal point of contemporary art and music production. These cross references may influence the creative development of schwarzenberg in one way or another ..

Further upcoming performances:
Festival KLANGSPUREN, Schwaz (AT), September 27th, 2013, 20.00
Performer: Seda Roeder

Supported through a composition grant by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna.