In the melting pot

Michael Pelzel has now been in Berlin for six months on a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service. Reason enough for the Ultraschallfestival Berlin to dedicate a portrait concert to him. Under the direction of Johannes Kalitzke, Klangforum Wien presented three large ensemble works by Pelzel on January 23. A recording of the concert is also to be released as a portrait CD in the Edition Zeitgenössische Musik of the German Music Council. So things are going well in Berlin for the Swiss composer, who was awarded the Busoni Prize by the Academy of Arts in 2011. At the award ceremony at the time, laudator Enno Poppe praised Pelzel's ability to transform the most diverse influences into something personal. The concert at Berlin's Hebbeltheater am Ufer once again bore witness to this quality.
Not only strings and woodwinds were set up on the open black box stage, but also three percussionists with various instruments as well as a prepared piano and a celesta. The Klangforum presented the first piece with impressive dynamics, ... along 101 ...from 2008, in which Michael Pelzel dedicates himself musically to the famous American west coast road Highway 101. In this piece, the sounds of the ensemble pile up to form dense clouds, images and surfaces, as if on a varied journey. In fact, echoes of American folk music seem to penetrate - for a moment it may sound like country music, like a brass band, but you have already whizzed past this part of the road.

Also in ... sentiers tortueux ... from 2007, which translates as "winding paths", the listener imagines himself on an eventful journey. Once again, very dense soundscapes emerge that involve the entire ensemble, only to thin out again and emphasize the subtleties of the individual instrumental groups - the two pianos tuned at sixth-note intervals or the woodwinds that fade into nothingness.

Pelzel's wealth of variety and his ability to bring out the most diverse timbres from the ensemble without any electronic aids were also evident in the last piece. Sempiternal Lockin (2012-14) comes to the fore. In it, he processes another travel experience, namely that of a scholarship stay in South Africa. There he learned the special playing technique of lock in, a special way of playing percussion instruments with several people at the same time, so that further rhythms become audible in the overtones. Also in Sempiternal Lockin Michael Pelzel proved his ability to bring together such diverse influences as impressions from Africa with his love of 19th century music. Rich in variety, dense, two-dimensional and yet at times subtle, the image of a constantly changing landscape also emerged here. The piece culminated in an impressive, almost pompous finale that left the audience speechless and amazed at this very unique, versatile musical language. The audience applauded enthusiastically. Now all that remains to be seen is what imprint the scholarship stay in Berlin will leave on Pelzel's music, in this melting pot that is able to combine so many different things.