About Ørenslyd

The project Ørenslyd is a concert consisting of four compositions for overtone-skilled singers and one instrumentalist. The Norwegian word Ørenslyd consists of “øre”, ear, and “lyd”, sound. Literally, «å få ørenslyd» means «to find one’s voice» (English), «sich Gehör verschaffen» (German). In connection with the performance of the music, a workshop Die Phänomenologie hörbarer Erfahrungen was conducted. Both performance of Ørenslyd and the workshop took place in Tieranatomisches Theater, Berlin, in October 2019. The performance and workshop is a collaboration between Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik, Humboldt-Universität und Tieranatomisches Theater. The programme for the concert:

• Aus der ersten Duineser Elegie (for three voices) (seven movements)

• Into A. Overtone music for double bass

• A Steffens Fragment (for soprano and double bass)

• Ørenslyd. Ritus V (for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and double bass)

All pieces are performed by Tone E. Braaten (soprano), Ebba Rydh (mezzo-soprano), Per Kristian Amundrød (tenor) and Håkon Thelin (double bass) in different constellations. All the pieces were recorded during a concert in Tieranatomisches Theater, Berlin, October 26, 2019. (Composition © Edvin Østergaard.)

A Steffens Fragment

Into A. Overtone music for double bass

Ørenslyd. Ritus V

Ørenslyd. Ritus V. Excerpt from 3. movement

Duineser Elegie: …ei meir inderleg flukt

Duineser Elegie: …om eg skreik ut

Duineser Elegie: …slike store gåter…

Ørenslyd is part of the artistic research project The Phenomenology of Audial Experience. Here, I explore attentive listening as part-taking in the world with its two intimately related dimensions: On the one hand, listening means to stretch out to the world, to seek its multiple voices actively. On the other hand, listening is receptively to let the world sound, to be open to it sonorous expressions. I ask: What is the Aufforderingscharakter of the sonic world, that is, how does the world invite our ears to search its aural expressions? Overtone song and attentive listening are intimately related. The focus of my exploration is the point where attentive listening and vocal expression merge.