Klangbuch der imaginären Wesen (Soundbook of imaginary beings)
stereo mix and multichannel version
duration: 52min
produced by Deutschlandradio Kultur Berlin
editor: Goetz Naleppa
voices: Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart
with the kind support of Musik der Jahrhunderte and the TU-Studios Berlin.
premiere: Deutschlandradio Kultur, 01.12.2006
The book “El libro de los seres imaginarios” (“Book of the imaginary beings”) written by the Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges was the main source of inspiration for the creation of this radiophonic piece. In his book of fantasy zoology, Borges explored old bestiariums and mythology texts to compile a handbook of creatures conceived through time and space by the human imagination.
Bestiarums give us written descriptions as well as pictures of these fantasy animals, but what about their sounds?.
The voices of the Neuen Vocalsolisten from Stuttgart are the source material used for the creation of twelve short sound compositions that imagine the sounds produced by and related to the following imaginary beings: the Mandrake, the Amphisbaena, the Unicorn, the Dragon, the Manticore, the Hydra, the Salamander, the Satyr, the Griffon, the Basilisk, the Leucrocotta and the Magpie.
Just as suggested by Borges in the preface of his book (1967 edition), these twelve compositions are not meant to be listened to straight through. The listener should rather use the random or shuffle function of a CD player to play the 12 tracks contained on the CD.
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