On the Edge of the Abyss

In "Am Rande des Abgrunds", alongside the seven cellos, two performers play waterphones, instruments, which resemble water-filled censers with strange decorations. Their sound is rich in overtones and quite unusual, and contrasts sharply with the shimmering sound of the strings. Waterphones, employed rather rarely in new music – are an expression of the composer’s eagerness to experiment, actively and consciously grappling with the sound worlds of the cultures of Africa or East Asia.