Bubbles

musikalische Performance für Klarinette, Keyboard und Wasserschalen musical performance for clarinet, keyboard and water bowls
WP 26.03.2022, Theater o.N., Berlin

Bubbles is the music for the music theatre piece of the same name, which premiered at Theater o.N. Berlin in March 2022. It is a half-hour musical performance for children aged 2 and up, which draws entirely on the sonic possibilities of water. Of particular relevance to the composition are glass bowls filled with water, which serve as the sound source material and also determine the structure of the stage set and the interaction of the performers on stage. The music is therefore both the basis and the signpost for the production, following the artistic premise that all elements of the stage action (acting, music, stage design, lighting…) should be organised according to the principles of musical composition and interlock as integral components of a Gesamtkunstwerk.
The sound production on the water bowls takes place in a variety of ways: At the beginning of the piece (when the audience enters), drops fall on three of the tuned bowls. For this purpose, three infusion bottles with the corresponding cutlery, as used in hospitals, are to be integrated into the stage set and the resonance of the bowls amplified by contact microphones. The regular drip strokes at slightly different speeds initially shift rhythmically against each other, while in a later scene, a solo drip bowl acts as a pulse generator for a percussive piece of music.
As the piece progresses, the bowls are played by the performers by rubbing them with their hands or striking them with felt mallets. The arrangement of the bowls on the stage, as noted at the beginning of the score, results in a choreography of movement by the performers, which is intended to be an integral part of the production.
A third, special form of sound production is bubbling in the water using a straw, whereby the resonance of the bowls is again amplified by contact microphones.
Two instruments are added to the sounds of the water bowls – the clarinet in B flat and a keyboard. The keyboard is assigned three sample banks, analogous to the three types of touch described above, which consist of sampled sounds from the water bowls and are called ‘glass glockenspiel’, ‘glass harmonium’ and ‘bubble harmonium’ in the score. The necessary sample files can be provided by the composer on request.
In addition, further objects with water sounds will be used, which will form part of both the production and the stage design: A kettle, a flower sprayer, straws of various sizes, ice cubes, an aquarium pump.