Design of the takeaway scores, announcement poster, as well as supervising the lithography of the special edition for the performance Innere Stimme by Olaf Nicolai.

(Innere Stimme) is based on “Humoreske” Opus 20 for piano by Robert Schumann. On one page of the piece Schumann added a third notation between the treble and bass staves, which he named “Innere Stimme” (“Inner Voice”). This melody can technically not be played by the pianist as his hands are busy with the treble and bass staves, but the melody remains present for the musician – it influences his interpretation of the piece. The audience, unable to see the score, can only imagine the influence of the “Innere Stimme”.

Using this extreme work of the romantic composer, Olaf Nicolai addresses the conceptual level of the music with a continuous 30-hour-performance of the hidden notes, interpreted by a number of 30 singers. With the performance, the mental dimensions of Schumann’s music is transposed and unveiled in the gallery space of VeneKlasen/Werner. The now audible inner voices echo the original concept of seeming absence and ghostlike appearance, for its enduring repetition.

Visit: Soundfair and De Vleeshall (Innere Stimme)