Open Fields
Site-Specific Piece for 144 Musicians
Video
Four microphones capture spatial diffusion along 450 meters
NDR television report — Tunnel reopening ceremony
Concept
144 musicians distributed across 900 meters of subterranean tunnel, 24 meters beneath the Elbe River. Hamburg's Alte Elbtunnel becomes a resonance chamber: twin pedestrian tunnels, 450 meters each, 72 musicians per tunnel at 3-meter intervals. Sound propagates through cylindrical architecture. The tunnel becomes instrument.
Commissioned for the tunnel's reopening ceremony. The work transforms industrial infrastructure into immersive sonic environment. Spatial arrangement creates living score—each musician serves as performer and acoustic node. Spectral transcription of synthesizer improvisation, orchestrated for distributed acoustic ensemble.
Score distribution via web-based system (Rama Gottfried, Georg Hajdu). 144 individual parts synchronized across vast spatial distances via iPads and wireless network. The challenge: conducting a dispersed ensemble with limited visual contact.
Specifications
| Premiere | Alte Elbtunnel, Hamburg — May 25–26, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 minutes |
| Instrumentation | 144 musicians in 12 ensembles |
| Spatial Configuration | Two parallel 450m tunnels, 24m underwater, 3m spacing |
| Tools | AudioSculpt, MaxScore, OpenMusic, web score distribution |
| Recording | Stereo (4 microphones along tunnel axis) |
Documentation
Musicians arranged at 3-meter intervals — Photo: KLARA Janina Luckow
Web-based score on iPad during performance — Photo: KLARA Janina Luckow