Hans Mittendorf interview: Hans Mittendorf has been creating music for quite some time & is a good friend of mine! Although he was born in Germany, he is now composing music in France. I thank him very much for taking the time to answer these questions for me! :) -Mikki 10/03

Hans: Actually, I do not play music anymore. That might be a surprise somehow, but I only compose, e. g. write music. My style varies according to the intention I have to write music related to text or mathematical structures. It seems as if I have found an insight on mathematics in relation to music. This is very much supported by the information technology. Life is digital, kind of philosophy. (Life is digital, but beer is liquid... of course!) Well, once I arrive at a digital analysis of music, it was not so long to synthesize other art in the same way, e. g. mathematically and develop structures to operate all of it according to an algorithm or a genetic instruction to grow over time and to reveal itself. Like a seed which grows into a tree, etc.

DML: What artists, if any, have influenced you on your path to make music? How exactly is your music composed?

Hans: Every good artist has influenced me and kind of helped me to continue.

If music is based on mathematics for example, it could be an algorithm, a matrix, or statistics. My last composition, which I was asked to write is for a college of music. The compositional structure is based on a matrix which is bi-directional. The matrix is a multidimensional system, which organizes events over time. I choose the natural distribution of prime numbers to be applied to music notation. Prime numbers structure the horizontal and the vertical axis of the matrix. Over time it will generate rhythm, vertically it will generate harmonic content.(Not to say harmony...)

One could think of the prime numbers as a genetic instruction of numbers to appear in various positions, e.g. a 3 is the third number of the natural sequence of whole numbers, when the sequence of whole numbers expands, there is a distribution of prime numbers which happen to have a particular lifestyle, e.g. they do not divide. So this family of numbers, which does not want to be friends with other numbers are the once I use to play music...... Maybe this style could be called abstract music.

DML: What are your live performances like? Where do they normally occur & what kind of audience reaction have you received thus far?

Hans: Performances are getting very rare. I regret this very much, but I have to face many problems in live performances. The main problem is the cost of a production, which can only be done by an institution like the city or the region. This kind of support is already very difficult to attract. Production costs are very high. There is no turnover from the concert, it is a plain loss in financial terms. If we would live in a society, which would like to develop the potential of there members, we would not mind, but our society is a political one...?

The next performance will be in May 2004. It is a composition for four sopranos and live-electronics. The music will be transformed into images with the help of computer technology. It is a multimedia event. The last substantial performance happened in Paris with music and dance. The video of this performance can be downloaded from my website http://www.art-mittendorf.com (Appears to no longer be available - M).

DML: Could you tell me more about the papers you wrote, such as "performance topology", etc? I'm rather interested in the "music through science" thing...

Hans: Most of the answer is already given above. It is research on sound and vision to be represented by math. A kind of ‘unified theory’. In a way a philosophy, which considers the nature of everything is based on waves. Matter as well as music have the same structure. The universe is music. Topology refers to location within this universe.

DML: Artists are usually evolving, as I assume you are as well... How has your music changed, if at all, & what do you plan to change in the future, if anything?

Hans: Every new composition is part of the evolution, personally and hopefully generally... The main plan is to stay independent and to create art from the interior. In other words developing the sources of a unique self... Present past and future are terms which do not really divide anymore. My aim is going beyond time, maybe!

DML: What are you working on right now?

Hans: I am preparing the programs for the computer, which I want to use in the performance in May. I am programming with the aim to transform music into Images. There is a lot to be explored as you can imagine.

DML: Do you ever work in collaboration w/ other musicians or do you work alone? And if with others, could you tell us more about that?

Hans: It seems that I work more and more alone. Before a first performance, there is of course a lot of time to be spend for rehearsals, but after the premier it usually goes quiet quickly again.

DML: What has been your most memorable (good or bad) musical experience & why?

Hans: It was the creation of algorithms. I understood that music is math. It was plain math which came out of my head and I transcribed it into music. This experience has changed things for me a lot! It seems that a lot of music is alive, because some musicians can live on it. There are many musicians paying their mortgage by playing Mozart, while Mozart himself never found comfort through his own compositions. What is important or good or bad? I only vaguely know. Maybe time will tell, but even that is no guarantee for anything. I will try to develop music according to the best of my knowledge. I will try to perform it, record it and hope it is worth doing. What is it for? Does an apple tree asks why it produces apples? I am sure it does not even know that one can make alcohol out of it...

DML: I know you have a family, how does that effect you musically? Are you teaching your daughter about music?

Hans: Having a family has put music creation between the times of the action demanded by the family. I learned how to do it between nine and five, if you want. I brought up my daughter, since I work at home. I love taking care of her. She has just started at the music school and we make music together. It is nice to have someone around who is so happy singing a tune!

DML: What do you do when not making music?

Hans: During the summer I paint. Normandy has a long tradition of painters who painted here. I am pleased to do that now. I work on sculptures, too. The rest of the time is spend with my family.

DML: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions, is there anything else you'd like to add?

Hans: Thank you for your interest!

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