On the Occasion of the 44th Anniversary of the Ensemble für Intuitive Musik (EFIM):
Michael von Hintzenstern puslishes "Klänge des Augenblicks"

By Doris Weilandt

It all began with composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, whose works the former Glaube + Heimat editor encountered in the 1970s. The Iron Curtain did not prevent him from establishing contact.

At the same time, von Hintzenstern was exploring the idea of work in progress—considering a piece not as a finished work, but rather as a station along a path. Regarding intuitive music, Stockhausen wrote:
"The remarkable thing about this new way of making music is that the moral responsibility of the musician is incomparably higher than in all other music, where one simply says: aha, that is an F-sharp instead of an F."

The founding members of EFIM included, alongside its spiritus rector von Hintzenstern (organ, harmonium, piano), his brother Matthias (cello), Mario Peter (clarinet), Wigbert Schwabe (EMS synthesizer), and Hans Tutschku (synthesizer and live electronics).

In addition to cross-border collaborations with Stockhausen’s son Markus, the ensemble developed new performance formats that incorporated discussions about music. Starting in 1988, the Days of New Music in Weimar took place annually. The first festival was held in honor of Stockhausen’s 60th birthday and featured 22 of his works, including several East German premieres. The ensemble also broke new ground with performances of Kurt Schwitters’ Ursonate, which captivated audiences. On the forecourt of Belvedere Castle, EFIM premiered its first process compositions using live electronics by Hans Tutschku, engaging in a dialogue with the natural sounds of the surroundings.

A dedicated section of the book explores the ensemble’s unique forms of park music, open-air performances, and unusual venues. On a lava field in Mexico, an improvised musical exchange emerged from the environment itself, reflecting on the four elements under the title Eruption de sonidos – Ausbruch der Klänge—performed under a full moon. The ensemble later explored locations such as the Ehringsdorf quarry, the English Garden in Meiningen, Klangwald-Lichtgestein, caves, and mining shafts. As Hans Tutschku expanded his work with eight-channel spatial sound diffusion, the movement of sound within space became increasingly significant, leading to collaborations with French composers of acousmatic music.

After 1990, EFIM embarked on concert tours across the world. Major tours took the ensemble through Europe, South America, and Indonesia. The book includes texts complemented by newspaper articles, letters, and photographs, meticulously compiled by editor Michael von Hintzenstern. This chapter of contemporary music history is essential reading.

von Hintzenstern, Michael: Klänge des Augenblicks. 44 Years of the Ensemble für Intuitive Musik Weimar, 256 pages, ISBN 978-3-00-078834-5; €44.00