Music and Cats / Book of Abstracts - Catalog - Page 27
Abstracts
Panel 7: Music Theory
17:40 – 17:55
Cat Music and Ataraxía
A Reconstruction of Michael Rother’s Album
Katzenmusik (1979)
Oliver Zöllner / Stuttgart Media University
This
presentation
will
reconstruct
the
instrumental work cycle “Katzenmusik” produced
by German composer and multi-instrumentalist
Michael Rother, issued in 1979 as the artist’s third
solo album. The record comprises of 12 pieces that
are titled “KM 1−12”. “KM 1” and “KM 3” are short
interludes, while the other pieces are complex
multi-track productions based on guitars,
electronic sound effects and drums, the latter
played by Jaki Liebezeit of Can fame. The pieces are
notable for their elegant harmonic properties, a
somewhat bittersweet, wistful atmosphere, a
transparent, floating sound, and a propelling and
immaculately precise drumbeat throughout. It is in
fact music that real-life cats can relate to, often
snuggling up to it.
In view of the album’s apparent harmonious flow,
the disparaging title “Katzenmusik” (cat music)
thus seems to be somewhat ironic; only “KM 1”
and “KM 3” could be said to musically represent
the meowing of cats. The album cover’s
modernistic
artwork
shows
a
square
photograph of a bright blue sky where a
contrail links two clouds, framed by a white
rim, with only Rother’s name and the album’s
title stenciled above. There are no iconic
references to cats whatsoever on the album
apart from a small graphic rendition of a cat
that accompanies each of the twelve “KM”
tracks on both the back sleeve and on the vinyl
labels, nor are there lyrical or textual
commentaries
referencing
cats.
The
presentation will reconstruct the visual and
musical bundle that is “Katzenmusik” and its
harmonious properties. The stoic rhythmic
patterns of the tracks point at an angle of
interpretation that will focus on the
philosophy of stoicism and its related concept
of ataraxía, or imperturbability. It will be
argued that “Katzenmusik” is about calmness
and eternity, i.e., something very well suited
to the nature of cats.
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