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Pauline Oliveros - Worldwide Tuning Meditation | Music on the Rebound with Raquel Acevedo Klein, Claire Chase, and Ione

Pauline Oliveros - Worldwide Tuning Meditation | Music on the Rebound with Raquel Acevedo Klein, Claire Chase, and Ione

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Wien Modern Finale: The Tuning Meditation

To close off a memorable edition of Wien Modern, Pauline Oliveros’ piece The Tuning Meditation will be played –  for free, live, online and for anyone to join in. When the piece was played at the opening concert on the 30th October 2020 in the Grand Hall of the Wiener Konzerthaus by the RSO Wien, conducted by Leo Hussain, the audience wasn't even allowed to hum along softly. During lockdown, when everyone is at home on their laptops, "in exaggerated compliance with the rule of distance" (Gerd Kuehr), we can finally bring together the decentral singing or humming of the audience, artists and colleagues in a special musical moment online.

The artist Ione, widow of Pauline Oliveros, will personally lead this performance (in English). During the first lockdown in April 2020, her weekly performances of the Worldwide Tuning Meditation brought together over 4600 participants from around 30 countries on all continents.

Participation is very simple thanks to the playing instructions. The complete text score by Pauline Oliveros can be found below. To participate, all you need to do is to register to the event for free in our Online Shop, the Zoom access data will be sent to you via mail before the performance.

We are excited for this special opportunity to see you again, to listen together and to hear the sounds we will all make together to mark the end of Wien Modern 2020!


Playing Instructions

Pauline Oliveros: The Tuning Meditation (1971) 

In The Tuning Meditation players are asked to tune exactly to another player or to contribute a pitch which no one else is sounding.

Begin by playing a pitch that you hear in your imagination. After contributing your pitch, listen for another player’s pitch and tune in unison to the pitch as exactly as possible. Listen again and play a pitch that no one else is playing. The duration of pitches is determined by the duration of a comfortable breath or bow. The dynamic level is soft throughout the piece. Brass players use mutes.

Continue by alternating between the three options described above:
– playing a new pitch of your own that no one else is playing
– just listening
– tuning in unison to the pitch of another player.

Introduce new pitches at will and tune to as many different players as are present. Although the dynamic level is soft make your tones available to others.

Play warmly with variations in tone quality.

Commentary

The Tuning Meditation is not difficult technically for the players since there is no metrical demand. However, concentration is necessary and the ability to match pitch. If the instructions are followed carefully then a beautiful texture arises with common tones threading through the cloud of sound. (Pauline Oliveros, 1996