Let’s start with the Argentine-born composer Beatriz Ferreyra, a pioneer of electroacoustic music and former member of the GRM (Groupe de Recherches Musicales) around Pierre Schaeffer. During this time, she made a significant contribution as a sound researcher to Pierre Schaeffer’s Solfège de l’Objet Sonore and her first tape compositions were created. Two of them, Demeures Aquatiques (1967) and Medisances (1968), are heard in this program.
In 2008 IMA Institute for Media Archaeology opened the exhibition Zauberhafte Klangmaschinen at the Kulturfabrik Hainburg. 42 sound machines, ranging from talking machines to sound cards, were exhibited and composition commissions were issued for the exhibited sound machines. Excerpts from two of these resulting works can be heard: Minimal Revolution (2009) by Andrea Sodomka (A), a suite for Paul Ehrlich’s Ariston (1896) and live electronics, as well as EXHIBIT #1 (2009) by Pia Palme (voice – Gina Mattiello, text – Bernadette Schiefer) for Wolfgang von Kempelen’s Sprechmaschine (1791) in Jakob Scheid’s replica (2002) and live electronics.