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9/17/2015

AsbjrnSchaathunLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

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Composers
Asbjrn Schaathun
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Asbjrn Schaathun
Born: 1961
Nationality: Norwegian
Publisher: Edition Wilhelm Hansen
Photo Tine Harden
PORTRAIT
byGeirJohnson,January1995
Theearly1980ssawtheemergenceofanewgenerationofcomposersinNorwaywhoplayedhavoc
withmanythingsinrelationtobothmusiciansandtheauthorities.Theywherenolongercontent
merelytocontinuetopropoundtheprevailingviewofmusic,butweredeterminedtomakeroomfor
theirownapproach.Thecomposersofthisgenerationwerewillingtothinkaloudabouttheir
professionandhelpedtoestablishnewensemblesandthemusicperiodicalBallade.
Thisgaverisetoanewdynamismonthecontemporarymusicscene.Afterseveraldecadesinwhich
therewasnorealcontactbetweencomposersandmusicianscircles,modernismbegantotakeholdandthepropaganda
designedtoscareoffthepublicthatmarkedthemusicworldinthe1950sand1960swasreplacedbyanewinsightinto
playingtechniquesandaestheticattitudes.
AsbjrnScaathun(b.1961)istheyoungestofthisgeneration,whichalsoincludescomposerssuchasRolfWallin,Cecilie
OreandseHedstrm.Heemergedontheprofessionalmusicsceneintheearly1980s,firstwithworksperformedatthe
YoungNordicMusicFestivalandthenastheprimemoverbehindanumberofconcertsandensembles.Asfounderofthe
20thCenturyEnsembleoftheNorwegianStateAcademyofmusicandlaterofOsloSinfonietta,Schaathunrealizedatan
earlierstagethatbringingtogetheryoungcomposersandmusicianswasameansofinfusingthemusiccommunitywithnew
life.
Inadditiontotheseorganizationalactivities,Schaathunwasalsoactiveasacomposer,havingstudiedcompositionfirstatthe
NorwegianStateAcademyofMusicandtheninLondon(RoyalCollegeofMusic)andParis(IRCAM).Hisworksattracted
attentionatanearlystagebecausetheyrepresentedanew,uncompromisingattitudeinNorwegiancompositionalpracticein
whichtheemphasiswasonabstract,structuralformsandplanningoflargescaleprocedures.Schaathunsworksmarkthe
entryofcomputeraidedcompositionintoNorwegianmusic.
Whatemergedwashisneedforstructure,aneedforconstructionofmaterialthatliesbeyondtherealmofimmediate
experience.Asthecomposerhimselfputsit:
Ihavetohavestructurestoworktowards,orelseImnotabletocompose.Itisamatterofmoderatingmyownidiom.Themost
successfulmomentsinmymusicarethosewhereIattempttoaccomplishsomethingaccordingtoaspecificlineofthought,
anditcollideswithastructurethatsaysYoucantdothat!Thiscollisioncontainsthegermofinnovation.
Wheredoesthispropensityforstructuralthinkingcomefrom?ThemusicSchaathunwasstrivingtowritelaybeyondhisreach,
bothintermsofintentionandasregardscompositionaltechniques.Hesoughttofindmeansofcreatingandcontrolling
materialthatismorecomplexthancanbegraspedoftheoutset.Decisionsatthelevelofdetailbecameabsurdunlessthey
couldberelatedtoastructuralwhole.ThefirsttimeIconsideredusingacomputerwaswhenItriedtocontrolaprocessthat
layundermyowntimehorizon.IwastryingtofindouthowfarIcouldstretchmyperceptionofmusicaldecisionsbeforethey
becameabsurd.TheinspirationforthisactuallycomesfromStockhausensarticle"wiedieZeitvergeht",wherehe
demonstratedhowmusicalelementscanbestructuredinthesamewayinbothmicroandmacrotime.Isuddenlyrealizedthat
therewereotherwaysofperceivingmusicaltimesthanthetraditionalone.
AlthoughSchaathunusesthecomputerasaworkingtool,heretainsanaffinityforthecompositionalaspectoftheprocess,
independentofsystemsorstructures.Inthatsense,theworkATabularSystem(1995)revealsatendencytoreturnto
traditionalcounterpoint,tojuxtaposelineswithoneanother.Itisimportanttohimtostrikeabalancebetweentheformaland
thecreative.Inthisrespect,thecomposers"poetic"attitudeisjustasimportantasthescientificmethodsheemploys.Itisa
questionofinspirationinthetraditionalsenseoftheword.
However,Schaathuncannotdenythefactthatthecomputerhasbeenhismostimportanttoolforthelastdecade.Asisclear

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/longbio/Asbj%c3%b8rnSchaathun

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9/17/2015

AsbjrnSchaathunLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical
fromhisworkduringthisperiod,hehasinternalizedthemethodsemployedinthiscontextinasurprisinglypoeticmanner.As
aconductorandartisticdirectorofOsloSinfoniettaintheearlystagesSchaathunhasworkedcloselywithsomeofthebest
musiciansofhisgenerationinNorway,andthishasunquestionablybeenasourceofinspirationtohim.Anewworkshould
alwaysbetriedoutonthemusiciansbeforeitisgivenitsfinalform.Thisispartoftheprocessofresistance,whereSchaathun
consistentlyattachesdecisiveimportancetotheopinionofexperiencedperformersofhisowngenerationastothesuitability
ofthematerial.

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