Hauschka

All Music Guide:

Hauschka (Volker Bertelmann) is an independent experimental musician based in Dusseldorf, Germany who is internationally recognized as a 21st century exponent of prepared piano technique, a tradition dating back to late 19th and early 20th century French composer Erik Satie. The piano is prepared when "preparations" (consisting of nearly any conceivably applicable object or material) are inserted between the strings or onto the hammers of the instrument; a wider application of the term takes in all manner of additional modifications that expand the sonic and operative possibilities of the piano. Hauschka has successfully combined the chamber music aspect of prepared piano (see composers Henry Cowell, John Cage, Christian Wolff, Max Richter, Maurice Delage, and Arvo Pärt) with pop, rock, and electronic sensibilities.

Hauschka's music might be said to reference (inadvertently perhaps) all of these aspects of the prepared piano equation, and he could even be regarded as a conceptual cousin of Denman Maroney, Erik Griswold, Sylvain Chaveau, and Anthony Pateras. His playfully repetitive constructs, which certainly reflect the influence of Satie, are also at times reminiscent of early keyboard works by Philip Glass or something from out of the minds of Terry Riley and Steve Reich. His best work suggests the achievements of Frank Pahl, Pascal Comelade, Yann Tiersen, and Henry Brant as well as the self-perpetuating modalities associated with gamelan. Hauschka, who with Luke Sutherland and Stefan Schneider is a member of Music A.M., has collaborated with Torsten Mauss to actuate the club/electronic duo Tonetraeger. Bertelmann often releases more than one Hauschka album a year, such as 2005's Substantial and Hauschka: The Prepared Piano and 2007's Versions of the Prepared Piano and Room to Expand. With 2008's Ferndorf, which featured a string duo, Bertelmann reached a new level of prominence; the Snowflakes and Carwrecks EP followed in 2009. Hauschka collaborated with San Francisco's Magik*Magik Orchestra on the following year's full-length Foriegn Landscapes, and 2011's Salon des Amateurs featured members of Calexico and mum. Bertelmann returned in 2012 with Silfra, a collaboration with violinist Hilary Hahn that was inspired by Iceland's Silfra rift.

Wikipedia:

Hauschka (born 1966) is the alias of Düsseldorf-based pianist/composer Volker Bertelmann.

Background [edit]

Hauschka, born Volker Bertelmann, first began to study the piano when he was nine years old after attending a Chopin performance in his hometown near Düsseldorf, Germany. After seven years of classical training at school, and then a further two years with a private tutor, he found his interest in classical music to be waning. After turning 18, he redirected his attention towards an education in medicine and economics, but soon abandoned those pursuits in favor of studying pop music in Hamburg.

By this time, Bertelmann had already composed his first film score, and having picked up a deal with Sony Music in 1994, he spent much of the next few years rapping and playing keyboards with God’s Favourite Dog before forming Nonex, with whom he released two albums in 1997 and 1999. After 2000, he joined with Torsten Mauss to form Tonetraeger and also with Luke Sutherland (Long Fin Killie) and Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot) to work under the name Music A.M.

During this period that he became more fascinated with electronic music, which eventually led him try achieving similar effects without the use of electricity at all. He soon began to make use of prepared pianos to emulate various other instruments.

Since then he has pursued numerous collaborations with musicians as well as composing several film scores.

Prepared Piano Preparation [edit]

When preparing for performances, it initially took Bertelmann two hours to set up his piano. He has since decreased preparation time to 10 minutes, due to the constraints of certain commercial venues.