Hans OTTE
The Book of Sounds

few words from Nicolas

For me, Otte's Book of Sounds must had to be part of my first season of recordings ! 

Otte music should be known as much as the great american pioneers. 

It is +10 years ago, thanks to David Sansom that I entered in touch with this composer. He wanted me to perform it for his Alterminimalism festival, but it never happened. 

On the other hand, in 2012 I did the french premiere during my own Night of Minimal Piano festival back in Collioure (France), and the Ukrainian premiere for the New Music at Arsenal Book Festival in Kiev in 2013. 

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Unlike American minimal music, Otte music is more rooted into the European tradition. Otte works with minimal elements not completely linked with the concept of harmony (surely due to the Liszt/Wagner/Schonberg tradition). It could sounds like improvisation, but most of the elements are well written on the score. Like its name refer (Book of Sounds), we can experience the sonic manifestation of sound. 

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Yes, it can seems a bit dry, but the music is really not. 

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Also, unlike the composer own recording who was limited by the LP duration, I really took seriously all Otte advices. It gives more breath to the music ! 

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Those 12 pieces gives a feeling of a music out of this world. 12 musical cells, from romantic to more radical