Åke Parmerud
Encyclopedia
Åke Parmerud is a Swedish composer, musician, and multimedia artist noted for his acoustic and electronic
works, which have been performed mostly in Europe, Mexico, and Canada. He is also noted for the design of stage and acoustics as well as interactive media and software. He has received recognition for his work from a number of festivals in Europe and has won two Swedish Grammis
awards. He has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
since 1998.
, Sweden. After working as a photographer from 1972 to 1974, Parmerud began his music studies in 1978 at the Högskolan för Scen och Musik (Conservatory of Theatre and Music) at the University of Gothenburg, where his teachers included the electronic-music composer and visual artist Rune Lindblad
. He also studied with electronic-music pioneer Lars Gunnar Bodin
Electronic Music Studio (EMS) in Stockholm (Peterson 2001; Parmerud n.d.).
on two occasions (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b).
As a stage performer, Parmerud does electro-acoustic music alone or with other artists, mostly in Europe, Mexico, and Canada (Parmerud n.d.). His performances includes music, video, and performance, with his narratives often ending without a conclusion, leaving that up to the audience (Anon 2011a; Parmerud n.d.). During the late 1980s and 1990s he worked extensively together with composer Anders Blomqvist
, with whom he wrote the music for a two-hour documentary on Greta Garbo
, which in turn produced Strings and Shadows, in which the harp's sounds are transformed electronically (Peterson 2001). Their live performances, sometimes including fireworks, toured several countries in Europe (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b)
Appearances in Mexico include participation in the Visiones Sonores event in Morelia in 2010 to present “Hyperspace, a presentation of new 3D sound software” and a composition called “Crystal Counterpoint.” He presented a piece called “BlowUp” in Mexico City
, a piece commissioned by Espacio de Experimentación Sonora of the Museo Universitario de Arte Contempóraneo (Anon. 2010a; Anon. 2010b). His most recent performance in Mexico is at the Festival International Cervantino in Guanajuato
in 2011 (Anon. 2011a).
Parmerud has had some performances in the United States. In 1997, “Grains of Voices” was performed on United Nations Day
at the organization’s New York headquarters
(Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b). At the Other Minds Festival
he performed a piece called "La vie mécanique" ("The Mechanical Life") generated entirely from machine sounds which include electronically generated sounds of planes taking off, humming refrigerators, clanking brakes and the release of steam from a train (Scheinin 2008).
For the last decade, Parmerud has been dedicated to acoustic design, designing facilities in Berlin
, Paris
, Mexico City and Reykjavik
(Anon. 2011a). He has designed concerts and has been the artistic director of large indoor and outdoor audio-visual events (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b). He founded AudioTechuture with Olle Niklasson, a company which specializes in acoustic interior design from homes to public spaces. He has worked as a sound and software designer for interactive audio-visual installations. Works such as “The Fire Inside,” “The Living Room” and “Lost Angel” have been shown in Berlin, Paris, Mexico City, Leon, Gothenburg and Reykavik (Anon. 2011b). From 1999 to 2006, he worked with the Danish group Boxiganga to develop new interactive video installations and stage design. From 2000 to 2002, he worked with Canadian choreographer Pierre-Paul Savoi composing as well as designing software and sound. A work called the “Seventh Sense” was developed with Canadian choreographer Mireille Leblanc (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b).
and Carlo Gesualdo
), and Retur, for saxophone quartet and tape (Peterson 2001).
One of his works, called Grains of Voices, is based on recordings made in various parts of the world, examining the human voice in various states. The texts of its various sections are based on the Biblical Creation story, nursery rhymes, prayers, and poems (Peterson 2001). This includes indigenous chant
s, opera
, protests, improvisation, prayer and recordings from television, radio and other media, as well as poetry from Hemingway
, Hesse
, and Joyce
. It focuses on language, the role of voice, and how it relates to music. The piece was first performed live at the United Nations headquarters due to its international nature (Anon 2011a).
, France, since then receiving twelve more from the same festival (Anon. 2011b). He has received honors from the Prix Ars Electronica
in Linz
, Austria
, Metamorfosis in Belgium
, Electronic Arts Award in Sweden, Noroit Prize in France, and the ICMA Prize for Composition. More recent awards include the Gigahertz Preis in Germany in 2008 and the Qwartz Pierre Shaeffer Prize in France in 2009 (Anon. 2011b). He has received two Swedish Grammis
awards for best classical album of the year (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b). He has been a member of The Swedish Royal Academy of Music since 1998 (Parmerud n.d.).
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
works, which have been performed mostly in Europe, Mexico, and Canada. He is also noted for the design of stage and acoustics as well as interactive media and software. He has received recognition for his work from a number of festivals in Europe and has won two Swedish Grammis
Grammis
The Grammis Awards are the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony is generally held each year in February in Stockholm.The awards were established in 1969 and awarded until 1972 when they were cancelled....
awards. He has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
Royal Swedish Academy of Music
The Royal Swedish Academy of Music or Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien, founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
since 1998.
Education
Parmerud was born in LidköpingLidköping
Lidköping is a locality and the seat of Lidköping Municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 27,941 inhabitants in 2005.It is neatly situated on the southern shore of Lake Vänern and sometimes refers to itself as "Lidköping by Vänern", possibly to distinguish itself from Linköping near...
, Sweden. After working as a photographer from 1972 to 1974, Parmerud began his music studies in 1978 at the Högskolan för Scen och Musik (Conservatory of Theatre and Music) at the University of Gothenburg, where his teachers included the electronic-music composer and visual artist Rune Lindblad
Rune Lindblad
Rune Lindblad was a Swedish composer of Musique concrète and electronic music, and artist.-Career:He first began composing in 1953 and composed over 200 works....
. He also studied with electronic-music pioneer Lars Gunnar Bodin
Lars Gunnar Bodin
Lars Gunnar Bodin is a Swedish pioneer in the field of electronic music during the 1960s, especially in the Scandinavian scene.- Education and early career :...
Electronic Music Studio (EMS) in Stockholm (Peterson 2001; Parmerud n.d.).
Career
Parmerud has been active since the 1970s in music (instrumental and electro-acoustic), multimedia and interactive art and music for videos, dance and cinema (Anon. 2011a). He has been commissioned to write works for institutions in Canada, Holland, France, Germany, Norway and Denmark. His music represented Swedish radio at the Prix ItaliaPrix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...
on two occasions (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b).
As a stage performer, Parmerud does electro-acoustic music alone or with other artists, mostly in Europe, Mexico, and Canada (Parmerud n.d.). His performances includes music, video, and performance, with his narratives often ending without a conclusion, leaving that up to the audience (Anon 2011a; Parmerud n.d.). During the late 1980s and 1990s he worked extensively together with composer Anders Blomqvist
Anders Blomqvist
Anders Blomqvist is a Swedish professor of pain research at Linköping University.Anders Blomqvist was born in Norrköping, Sweden. He obtained a doctorate degree in medical science in 1981 and was appointed associate professor of anatomy in 1983 at Uppsala University, Sweden...
, with whom he wrote the music for a two-hour documentary on Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
, which in turn produced Strings and Shadows, in which the harp's sounds are transformed electronically (Peterson 2001). Their live performances, sometimes including fireworks, toured several countries in Europe (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b)
Appearances in Mexico include participation in the Visiones Sonores event in Morelia in 2010 to present “Hyperspace, a presentation of new 3D sound software” and a composition called “Crystal Counterpoint.” He presented a piece called “BlowUp” in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, a piece commissioned by Espacio de Experimentación Sonora of the Museo Universitario de Arte Contempóraneo (Anon. 2010a; Anon. 2010b). His most recent performance in Mexico is at the Festival International Cervantino in Guanajuato
Guanajuato, Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a city and municipality in central Mexico and the capital of the state of the same name. It is located in a narrow valley, which makes the streets of the city narrow and winding. Most are alleys that cars cannot pass through, and some are long sets of stairs up the mountainsides....
in 2011 (Anon. 2011a).
Parmerud has had some performances in the United States. In 1997, “Grains of Voices” was performed on United Nations Day
United Nations Day
In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly declared 24 October, the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, as which "shall be devoted to making known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gaining their support for" its work.In 1971 the...
at the organization’s New York headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
(Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b). At the Other Minds Festival
Other Minds
Other Minds is a San Francisco based private 501 not-for-profit organization, founded in 1992 by Charles Amirkhanian and Jim Newman...
he performed a piece called "La vie mécanique" ("The Mechanical Life") generated entirely from machine sounds which include electronically generated sounds of planes taking off, humming refrigerators, clanking brakes and the release of steam from a train (Scheinin 2008).
For the last decade, Parmerud has been dedicated to acoustic design, designing facilities in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Mexico City and Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
(Anon. 2011a). He has designed concerts and has been the artistic director of large indoor and outdoor audio-visual events (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b). He founded AudioTechuture with Olle Niklasson, a company which specializes in acoustic interior design from homes to public spaces. He has worked as a sound and software designer for interactive audio-visual installations. Works such as “The Fire Inside,” “The Living Room” and “Lost Angel” have been shown in Berlin, Paris, Mexico City, Leon, Gothenburg and Reykavik (Anon. 2011b). From 1999 to 2006, he worked with the Danish group Boxiganga to develop new interactive video installations and stage design. From 2000 to 2002, he worked with Canadian choreographer Pierre-Paul Savoi composing as well as designing software and sound. A work called the “Seventh Sense” was developed with Canadian choreographer Mireille Leblanc (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b).
Musical style
Although he has written instrumental and multimedia music, he is most noted for his electro-acoustic music, which often combines tapes with instruments or voices. This characteristically results in processes of interaction and transformation between the different sound sources, as well as within one voice, instrument, or chord. Examples include Remain, for orchestra and tape, Alias (based on vocal sounds and quotations from John DowlandJohn Dowland
John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
and Carlo Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo, known as Gesualdo di Venosa or Gesualdo da Venosa , Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza, was an Italian nobleman, lutenist, composer, and murderer....
), and Retur, for saxophone quartet and tape (Peterson 2001).
One of his works, called Grains of Voices, is based on recordings made in various parts of the world, examining the human voice in various states. The texts of its various sections are based on the Biblical Creation story, nursery rhymes, prayers, and poems (Peterson 2001). This includes indigenous chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
s, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, protests, improvisation, prayer and recordings from television, radio and other media, as well as poetry from Hemingway
Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway was an American writer and journalist.Hemingway may also refer to:*Hemingway , a surname and list of people with that name*Hemingway , a Marvel Comics character*Hemingway, South Carolina...
, Hesse
Hermann Hesse
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature...
, and Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
. It focuses on language, the role of voice, and how it relates to music. The piece was first performed live at the United Nations headquarters due to its international nature (Anon 2011a).
Honours
Parmerud is one of Sweden’s best-known musicians outside of the country. His first major recognition was in 1978 when his piece “Proximities” received first prize at the international music festival in BourgesBourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
, France, since then receiving twelve more from the same festival (Anon. 2011b). He has received honors from the Prix Ars Electronica
Prix Ars Electronica
The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the most important yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music...
in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Metamorfosis in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Electronic Arts Award in Sweden, Noroit Prize in France, and the ICMA Prize for Composition. More recent awards include the Gigahertz Preis in Germany in 2008 and the Qwartz Pierre Shaeffer Prize in France in 2009 (Anon. 2011b). He has received two Swedish Grammis
Grammis
The Grammis Awards are the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony is generally held each year in February in Stockholm.The awards were established in 1969 and awarded until 1972 when they were cancelled....
awards for best classical album of the year (Parmerud n.d.; Anon. 2011b). He has been a member of The Swedish Royal Academy of Music since 1998 (Parmerud n.d.).
Recordings
His work has been issued on two vinyl albums and two CDs, appearing on many more as a contributor (Anon. 2011b).- Jeu d'ombres (empreintes DIGITALesEmpreintes DIGITALesempreintes DIGITALes is a record label founded in 1990 and based in Montreal which specialises in contemporary electroacoustic music, acousmatic and musique concrète.In 2005, empreintes DIGITALes shifted from CD to DVD-Audio.- Composers :* Mathew Adkins...
, IMED 0367, 2003) - Grains of Voices (Caprice, CAP 21579, 1996)
- Osynlig Musik / Invisible Music / Musique invisible (Phono Suecia, PSCD 72, 1994)
- Maze; Yàn (Caprice, CAP 1320, 1987)
- Yttringar (Ton Art, TONART 17, 1984)
List of works
- Alias, for tape (1990)
- Bows, Arcs and The Arrow of Time (2004), string orchestra, computer, and video
- Coda (1984)
- Cut 1, 2, 3 Progress (1996)
- Dreaming in Darkness (2005), 6-track tape
- Efterbild (1997–98), orchestra, and computer
- L'espace qui vous regarde (2001), audiovisual installation
- Éxor (1986), piano
- The Fire Inside (2000), audiovisual installation
- Floden av Glas (The River of Glass) (1978–81), incidental music
- Les flûtes en feu (1999)
- Genom landskap av glas (1976)
- Grains of Voices (1994–95)
- The Heart of Silence (1997–98), multimedia (choir, electroacoustic tape, photography, and dance)
- Inori (1987), harpsichord, and synthezeiser
- Inside Looking Out (1992), ensemble instrumental, ordinateur et bande
- Intermediate I (1994)
- Intermediate II (1994)
- Intermediate III (1994)
- Intermediate IV (1994)
- Isola (1985–86), chamber orchestra, and tape
- Jeux imaginaires (1993)
- Krén (1983)
- Lost Angel (2004), interactive audiovisual installation, and dance performance
- Mandala (1983)
- Maze (1985–86)
- Mirage (1995–96), chamber ensemble, and tape
- Närheter (från igår och natten) (1978), text-sound
- Les objets obscurs (1991)
- Out of Sight (1981)
- Phoenix I (1997)
- Prolog (1981)
- Proximities (1978)
- Reed my Lips (1990), wind quintet, and tape
- Remain (1980), orchestra, and tape
- Renaissance (1994)
- Repulse (1986)
- Retur (1992–93), saxophone quartet, and tape
- Rit (1981)
- Ritual Melodies (1990)
- Strata: mémoires d'un amoureux (2001), music for the choreography by Pierre-Paul Savoie
- Stringquartett (1988)
- Strings & Shadows (1993), harp, and tape
- SubString Bridge (1999), guitar, and interactive computer
- Tangent (1989)
- Tide In (2001), two singers, and motion tracking system
- Time's Imaginary Eye (1979), soprano, and tape (with slides)
- La vie mécanique (2004)
- Yàn (1985), percussion ensemble, and tape
- Yttringar (1983), soprano, cello, trombone, piano, 3 percussions, and tape
- Zeit aus Zeit (The Stockhausen Variations) (2001–02), piano, percussion, and live electronics
Further Reading
- Bergendal, Göran. 2001. 33 nya svenska komponister. Stockholm: Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien. ISBN 91-89038-21-5.
- Brech, Martha. 1993. Analyse elektroakustischer Musik mit Hilfe von Sonagrammen (PhD diss., Technische Universität Berlin). Europäische Hochschulschriften, XXXVI: Musikwissenschaft, no. 118. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. ISBN 3-631-47427-X. Reviewed by Pascal Decroupet, in Die Musikforschung 53, no. 3 (July-September 2000): 352–53.
- Brech, Martha. 1995. "Möglichkeiten und Grenzen sonagraphischer Partituren für die Hörinterpretation". In Der Hörer als Interpret, 195–210. Schriften zur Musikpsychologie und Musikästhetik, no. 7. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. ISBN: 3-631-49068-2.
- Emmerfors, Fredrik. 2008. "Åke Parmerud". Nutida Musik 51, no. 3:77–81.
- Kothman, Keith. 1992. "Dealing with Rock: How the Contemporary Composer Deals with Cultural Background". In Proceedings of the Bowling Green State University New Music & Art Festival. XIII, edited by William Eastman Lake, 17–26. Contemporary Music Forum 4. Bowling Green: Bowling Green State University.
- Reimers, Lennart. 1979. "Neue Musik in Schweden". Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 140, no. 1: 28–30.
- Thoresen, Lasse, and Andreas Hedman. 2009. "Sound-Objects, Values and Characters in Åke Parmerud's Les objets obscurs, 3rd Section". Organised Sound 14, no. 3 (December): 310–20.
- Thoresen, Lasse. 2010. "Form-Building Patterns and Metaphorical Meaning". Organised Sound 15, no. 2 (August): 82–95.
- Westman, Lennart. 1997. "Beyond the Machine". Nordic Sounds, no. 1: 19–22.