Helmut Lachenmann @ 90

Mini-Symposium | Six Presentations and a Discussion explore German composer Helmut Lachenmann's work and legacy

Goethe-Institut Boston, Boston, MA

Efstratios Minakakis: Architectonics of Sonic Design: Towards a Gestural Syntax in Lachenmann’s Grido
12:45–1:15 PM
This presentation proposes a method of conceptualizing aspects of gestural syntax in Lachenmann’s work and applies it to an extended passage of his third string quartet, Grido. The method complements Lachenmann’s idea of sound-types (1966/91) with analytical tools adapted from Dora A. Hanninen’s “Theory of Analysis.” Using the latter, I organize individual sound morphemes into associative sets and examine how they interact with each other and evolve into a network of associative landscapes. I further address how the mechanics of their interaction and evolution create syntactical implications that inform the larger sonic design.