Poem of a Cell

With his “Poem of a Cell”, the composer and music producer Stefan Winter has created a sound installation that combines elements of Jewish, Christian and Islamic music and poetry. It draws on texts from the Old Testament, as well as Christian and Islamic mysticism: “The Song of Songs” (300 BC) from the Old Testament, “The Flowing Light of the Godhead” (13th century) by Mechthild von Magdeburg and “The Divine Unity” (8th century) by the Islamic female mystic Rabi’a al-Basri. Each of the texts addresses themes which the three world religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – have in common despite their many differences: love, ecstasy and the desire for the divine. Based on these selected passages, Stefan Winter has composed and arranged a sound and video installation which combines noises and voices, and contemporary and traditional music. The concerts featured the work together with live music and improvisation. The project not only created ties to various musical traditions like New Music and improvisation, traditional music and art songs, but also brought outstanding international musicians and performers of live music in contact with digital audio art. It is also a chance for audiences to listen to the classical Oriental string instrument Qanun, played by Rajab Suleiman, alongside cello improvisations by Ernst Reijseger and the sounds and dances of the Mtendeni Maulid Ensemble. Concerts took place at numerous locations, including Munich, Haifa and Istanbul.

Creator/director/sound and effect composer/artistic director: Stefan Winter
Artist: Noriko Kura
Voice: Barbara Sukowa
Composers: William Byrd, Uri Caine, Carlo Gesualdo, Orlando di Lasso, Fabio Nieder, Rajab Suleiman, Fumio Yasuda
Musicians: Alan Bern, Uri Caine Ensemble, Forma Antiqva Barock Ensemble, Exaudi Vocal Ensemble, St. Cecilia Gospel Choir, Kettwiger Bach Ensemble, Kölner Schlagquartett, Mtendeni Maulid Ensemble, Saada Nassor, Ernst Reijseger, Barbara Walker and others
Sound Engineer: Adrian von Ripka, Director of photography: Gernot Aschoff
Producer: Mariko Takahashi

Additional Venues:

STONE TOWN, Zanzibar International Film Festival, Alte Festung
16 July 2017 Audio and three-track video installation (World Premiere)

SAN SEBASTIAN, Zurriola Beach
20 July 2017 Live performance with audio and three-track video installation

HAIFA, Head, School of the Arts, Faculty of Humanities, University of Haifa
18, 19 and 20 October, Audio- and 3-Channel-Film-Installation
22, 23 and 24 October 2017, Audio- and 3-Channel-Film-Installation with Live Performance

BORDEAUX, Le Rocher de Palmer: 2018;
ISTANBUL, Bahcesehir Universität: 2018

TOKYO: OAG, 19 – 25 November 2018