SCHALLMACHINE 06

Read Chris Reid’s Realtime review here

‘Schallmachine reminds us of the complex relationship of sound to space, as well as to alert us to how much of our built environment we take for granted. It also forces a reflection on the notion of audience as collective experience, a direct challenge to the simulacrum aesthetic of mass media entertainment.’
Martin Ball, The Age

“Rosemary Joy’s instruments make magical sounds but test the idea of the musical instrument” Realtime

Schallmachine 06 took audiences on a journey into hidden spaces of Federation Square for a minutely staged adventure in music for solo miniature percussion. Schallmachine 06 (from Schall, the German word for sound, echo or resonance) was a solo miniature percussion performance in an unlikely concert venue.

Percussionist Fritz Hauser and architect Boa Baumann have been working at the nexus of sound and space for fifteen years. For Schallmachine 06 this remarkable duo collaborated with APHIDS and virtuosic performers from Speak Percussion to create a concert experience of infinite precision and mesmerising delight. As part of Schallmachine, audiences were met in the Atrium and escorted in groups of three up into the Shard, down into the subterranean Labyrinth, or deeper still into the Trenches to discover at close-hand astonishing new perspectives on the city and the sounds of miniature percussion.

Schallmachine 06 was part of APHIDS company residency at Federation Square. Following the world premiere in Melbourne, Schallmachine continued to be presented in Basel, Switzerland, as part of a Fritz Hauser retro-perspective different beat.

CREDITS

Artistic director/ percussionist – Fritz Hauser
Designer – Boa Baumann
Composer – David Young
Artist – Rosemary Joy
Percussionist – Eugene Ughetti
Percussionist – John Arcaro
Instrument construction – Adam Stewart
Lighting – Richard Vabre
Costume Design – Kath Banger

Schallmachine 06 is supported by Arts Victoria, Myer Foundation, City of Melbourne, Federation Square, Pro Helvetia, Swiss Consulate (Sydney), Yatzek Studios and MadFish Fine Wine. Courtesy of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.