Making of: BACH Aria "Großer Herr" on mobile devices - recording session
Channel: DigiEnsemble Berlin
Date: 2013-12-29

This video is a documentation of the recording process of the aria on 11th of september 2012. 

The DigiEnsemble Berlin exclusively uses digital devices to perform the aria "Großer Herr, o starker König" from the famous and glorious Christmas Oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, sung by Tobias Berndt.

The final version of the aria: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF9h6WEovzk

The entire sound is created on the digital devices themselves. Therefore, three apps run simultaneously. These are "ThumbJam" as a sampler for all instruments, "Geo Synth" as the instrumental surface and "MIDI In Motion" as a motion controller of volume (Schwehn has provides us with a beta version), connected via virtual midi.

-- Background
For two years, the DigiEnsemble Berlin has explored the opportunities of mobile music. This aria, however, is a very important step in the course of the musicians' quest, due to the high qualitative aspiration and requirements of the piece. The DigiEnsemble Berlin physically premiers the piece together with the singer Roman Trekel at the Berlin Cathedral on the 16th December 2012.

The realization of the musically challenging aria is a culmination for the mission of acquiring virtuous playing techniques with smartphones. Matthias Krebs chose this aria consciously with the intention of accomplishing a signifying step in the ensemble's development. Experts like music professors from the Berlin University of the Arts were consulted to optimize the musical adaption and musical interpretation.
Furthermore, the technical level was enhanced by utilizing a number of elaborate controllers. An important sound quality improvement for this musical interpretation was enabled by a new motion control app called "MIDI In Motion" by Florian Schwehn. In the process of the project, the digital devices became serious musical instruments on a high level of proficiency and differentiation that has not been reached before. 

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