Project: Pechstein /pitchstone for ensemble (string quartet, guitar, piano and clarinet) is the concluding piece of the cycle 'stones', a cycle of chamber music and solo pieces. The cycle consists of four 'Objekt'-pieces and two contrasting, more transition-like pieces. In the 'Objekt'-pieces, I am exploring the idea of a sculpture-like musical object being viewed during the performing time. Due to the fact that the sculptures are not mobile, this approach excludes the idea of any dynamic development (except the kind of development induced by the viewer’s attitude) for the duration of the single piece. Therefore, the cycle is enriched by the transition-like pieces of more dynamic character. All pieces, however, are linked to the general concept of the cycle by the overall idea of different stones’ qualities. In detail, they are:

'Objekt I (Steinmandl)' for guitar and piano, 'Sand' for guitar solo, 'Objekt II (Kristall/crystal)' for clarinet and piano, 'Objekt III (Granit/granite)' for basset horn and string quartet, 'Objekt IV (Kies/pebble)' for piano solo, and 'Pechstein /pitchstone' for ensemble.

Making use of several algorithmic composition tools in Common Lisp, which I have developed and explored during my work on the cycle, 'Pechstein/pitchstone' is forming a general conclusion of the cycle on different conceptual and perceptional levels. Pechstein/pitchstone is a volcanic glass formed when lava is quickly chilled. Analogous to this, the piece is inspired by the idea of accordingly fluid pitch and rhythm structures gradually getting frozen in time. As a result, the piece presents a summary of the cycle not only by employing all the instrumental forces having been used and by recurring to the algorithms developed so far, but by expressing a dynamic, transitional process leading in the end to a frozen 'object'. Thus, 'Pechstein/pitchstone' embodies both the past and the present of the musical 'objects' of the cycle while consisting of a big multi-layer process.

Work in Cassis included the completion of the missing second, third, and fourth movements of 'Objekt III (Granit/granite)' for string quartet and basset horn, resulting in further exploration of the algorithmic procedures for controlling large-scale harmonic processes as well as in deeper experience concerning creative work using a pre-defined structure whilst experimenting with different musical characters. It included also further programming work in order to tie together the algorithmic tools for the generation of a piece’s rhythmic and harmonic structure, leading to the finished composition of 'Objekt IV (Kies/pebble)' for piano solo. For 'Pechstein/pitchstone', the work included first conceptual stages, further software development and, resulting from this, making the choices of the main musical materials.