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Requiem for an Unknown Soldier/ "Trattato della Pittura II. Sinfonia per trompe elettropneumatiche"
'Paul Panhuysen
Paul Panhuysen
"REQUIEM FOR AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER" This installation consists of 4 portable organs made for field services of the French Army during World War II. Three of the organs are playing each 4 different notes simultaneously with short intermissions, the 4th organ plays 4 notes simultaneously and continuously. The tuning is based on a calculation formula. Organ I plays, following the order on the keyboard, the notes 1, 8, 15, 22; organ II the notes 3, 11, 19, 27; organ III the notes 5, 14, 23, 31; and organ IV the notes 7, 17, 27, and 37.
Organ I, which plays continuously, measures 62 by 24 by 27 cm. The other organs measure 67 by 24 by 27. All the organs are mounted in a rectangular metal case with grips and painted in a french military green colour. This installation, programmed with a timer, is performing in cycles of 2 minutes on and 2 minutes off."TRATTATO DELLA PITTURA II.
SINFONIA PER TROMBE ELETTROPNEUMATICHE." This installation consists of 17 carhorns and 2 sirens. The instruments are mounted on 5 microphone stands, which allow to direct the horns towards the surrounding walls. Heavy power supplies are mounted on the stands close to the floor, dividing the instruments in 8 groups. The installation is programmed by timers. The on-off-cycle is different for each group, varying between 15 to 30 milliseconds on, and 20 seconds to 1 minute off, producing together an ever changing pattern of sounds.
A Billboard with a large photograph in full colour, showing a gigantic set of carhorns in a concert-hall with the conductor of an orchestra facing them (an image taken from the package of a set of horns), completes this installation.
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