Europe of Cultures - Vinko Globokar regarding his Laboratorium

Context

Born in Anderny, Lorraine in 1934, Vinko Globokar left for Yugoslavia where he was a jazz trombonist. On his return to France in 1955 he joined the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, where he was awarded the first prize for trombone. His talents led to numerous new works, Berio, Kagel, Stockhausen, etc. that were dedicated to him. He studied composition with René Leibowitz, apostle of serial music and with Luciano Berio. He taught at the Cologne music school and then joined IRCAM in Paris as director of vocal and instrumental research. His music is often considered as difficult (to play and to listen to), and explores new paths without indulgence: it tries to link elements that are ordinarily separate such as voices/instruments, individual/ensemble, music/theatre, social problems/performance, body/music, variety or "serious" jazz/music. The basic premise, according to Vinko Globokar, was that everything could be transformed into musical logic.

Michel Coupard

Transcription

Journalist

Let's listen to a sample from Vinko Globokar's "Laboratorium". Begun in 1973, this work has, in fact, no ending, as composer Vinko Globokar likes to specify. This work of research and analysis requires the presence of 11 musicians and one computer. For us, only 2 musicians were present: Cyrille Huvet on piano and Irvine Arditti on violin.

(Music)

(Noises)

Journalist

"Laboratorium", what does that mean?

Vinko Globokar

"Laboratorium" is a work that I started 10 years ago and it's an open work, meaning that there really is no ending. The only thing that's left, is that there's 10 stable musicians. So, inside, there are parts for one person, for 2, 3, up to 10. So, for me, it's a sort of work diary in which I try to make a sort of personal search. So, for example, there are themes like the psychological relationship between interpreters and problems such as individual musicians' creation capacities. Afterwards, for example, there are themes such as how to transform an acoustic instrument into an electronic instrument? How to broaden game techniques to instruments? How to, for example, influence a musician using electronics?

Journalist

Is it really research work?

Vinko Globokar

Absolutely. They are small pieces and each piece has... tries to answer a question that I asked myself. So up until now, there are about 30 pieces. If we played all of it, it would be about 3, 4 hours of music.

Journalist

And the computer, what is its role there?

Vinko Globokar

In this piece, there are certain small parts that might need a computer, just to process musical data that I give it and that are there to surprise the musician when he's playing.

Journalist

Is it music from the future, so to speak?

Vinko Globokar

No, no, I'm not thinking about the future at all. It's music for today.

Journalist

Can a musician who doesn't know how to play be a part of your "Laboratorium"?

Vinko Globokar

No, it's music that's extremely... I'd say that it's at the edge of instruments' capabilities. And there are even certain pieces that are utopian pieces, meaning that the information is so complicated that the musician has to, based on his personal capabilities, I'd say, play a version, because the version that exists is practically impossible to...

Journalist

In other words, you have to be a virtuoso to play false notes?

Vinko Globokar

No, it's not at all to play incorrectly at all, I mean, you have to play what's written. As soon as you play what's written and that something is decided upon, it can't be incorrect.

Journalist

How do your audiences feel about your music?

Vinko Globokar

It depends on where we're playing. Meaning that, if you do this someplace where there's students or, for example, in a place where people are used to today's music, reactions are quite positive. If it's done in a rather traditional place, reactions are...

Journalist

You can't convey your message?

Vinko Globokar

It's not that the message doesn't get through, but it's just perceived differently. I mean, I don't think that there are two places that resemble each other.