Marc Sabat : music & writings
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> EDITIONS / INTERVIEWS / RECENT WORK
WORKLIST
SOLOS / FIXED MEDIA
etcetera, to witt (2022)
after a fragment by
Ludwig Wittgenstein
violin 4'
False fruit (2021) guitar 8'
Partite Requiem (2019) cello 20'
Etude (2017) piano 1'
is land a part (2014) contrabass and computer 30'
Swing in sweetest summer (2013) glissando flute and computer 15'
2nd WAKE (for Bob) (2009) Fokker Organ in 31-tone temperament 11'
Erbsen (2009) recorders and prerecorded track 10'
eudaimonia (2009)
composed jointly with Stefan Bartling
piano 5'
Hairy Hippy Happy #2 (2008)
computer intonation
sampled and filtered
Indian sruti box
11'45"
wave piano scenery player (2007)
Marc Sabat / Lorenzo Pompa
scenery with paintings, piano,
pianist, computer, loudpeakers
18h
1. WAKE for JIM computer-driven acoustic piano 5'
2. to Damascus MIDI-output acoustic piano 30'
reminded again (2007)
music scenery with accordion
accordion and recorded
electronic tones
72'
reminded again (2007)
music scenery with harmonium
harmonium and recorded
electronic tones
72'
Wonderful Scatter (2005)
music scenery with tuba
6-valve F tuba with valve-sensors
computer and loudspeaker
104'
from Les Duresses:
a book of music in Just intonation
(2004)
1. Intonation after Morton Feldman #1 violin 10'
2. Intonation after Morton Feldman #2 violin 10'
3. Two Commas violin 10'
Artificial Music for Machines (2002) MIDI-output acoustic piano with live
computer generated tuned sinewaves
11'
John Jenkins (2001/11) 2 manual harpsichord in Just Intonation 15'
4 piano inventions (1999) piano 9'
For Magister Zacharias (1997) amplified Steinway piano mechanism 10'
Air—Spit—Tune (1997/2013) soprano and optional viola 8'
Change in your pocket (1997) amplified bowed string instrument
and delay
12'
Nocturne (1996) piano 7'
2 piano studies (1995) piano 9'
DUOS
falsche freunde / false friends (2013/2022)
poetry/composition/translation
Uljana Wolf/Marc Sabat/Susan Bernofsky
voice counterpoint 30'
Streams barely in winter (2019) two violins 5'
Plainsound Duet (2018) any two players 5'
Part song (2017) violin and contrabass 5'
Sei Bach-Intonazioni per
Violino Solo, Ia IIa IIIA
(2010/19)
violin with optional
2nd violin bordun
Gioseffo Zarlino (2015) 2 or more instruments 30'
Bob Gilmore, Elisabeth Smalt (2015) violin and viola 10'
Composition for La Monte Young,
February 2010
2 players
twice the same instrument
Tristan, Isolde (2009) 2 pianos 2'
Claudius Ptolemy (2008/17) violin or contrabass and cello 4'
November 15, 1935 - Leaving Santa Barbara (2007)
based on a sketch by Harry Partch
solo male Intoning Voice and Violin
with spoken voice aside
6'
wave piano scenery player (2007)
Marc Sabat / Lorenzo Pompa
scenery with paintings, piano,
pianist, computer, loudpeakers
18h
2. to Damascus piano and keyboard
both playing the same part
30'
3. wave scenery duo for computer and pianist 17h 30'
WAKE for JIM (2007) pianist and player-piano 5'
reminded again (2007) 2 harmoniums in unison
and recorded electronic tones
72'
from Les Duresses:
a book of music in Just intonation
(2004)
4. Duas Quintas 2 violins 15'
YOU MAY NOT WANT TO BE HERE
(after Bruce Nauman)
(2000)
composed jointly with Matteo Fargion
recorded voices, prepared piano,
electric and/or acoustic violins
31'
Air—Spit—Tune (1997/2013) soprano and optional viola 8'
For Michael Baker (1996) trumpet, bass drum 3'
3 Chorales for Harry Partch (1993) retuned violin and viola 6'
ENSEMBLE / ORCHESTRAL
To walk in this what came to pass (2022)
remembering my grandparent’ flight
mixed ensemble of 415 Hz
and 440 Hz instruments
10'
Inner voice (2021) electric guitar, string quartet,
electronics
30'
Streams barely in winter (2021) string ensemble
6.3.3.3.2
12'
Fleeting flight sleeping woke (2021) Alois Haba's 1/6 Tone Harmonium
fl, cl, sax, tbn, vn, va, vc, cb
12'
Divide (2019) string quartet or
any four instruments
14'
Seeds of skies, alibis :
prologue
(2019)
voices + instruments: alto flute,
viola, keyboard, ebow guitar,
contrabass, cello, retuned piano
25'
The Luminiferous Aether (2018) orchestra 24'
LIGHT GROUND (2014-), in progress
Marc Sabat / Mareike Yin-Yee Lee
voice, violin, viola, 2 contrabasses
prerecorded tanpuras and installation
70'
Asking ocean (2016) string quartet and 18 instruments 48'
Gioseffo Zarlino (2015) 2 or more instruments 30'
Surface slips away (2014) bassoon, cello and
steel-string guitar
45'
Lying in the grass, river and clouds (2012) chamber concerto for piano
and 14 instruments
35'
Jean-Philippe Rameau (2012) any three sustaining instruments 12'
Garden Songs (2009/12)
music about a text by Wolfgang Betke
dobro, alto flute or bass recorder,
percussion, prerecorded voice
9'
ERIK SATIE Vexations INTONATION (2011) 3 instruments (open) open
Kaleidoskop für Gerd Lünenbürger (2011) string ensemble 3'
Euler Lattice Spirals Scenery (2011) string quartet 30'
Al naharot Bavel (2010) contralto, basso, adapted viola,
horn, trombone, tuba
5'
Hairy Hippy Happy (2006/10) double horn, tenorbass trombone,
5-valve F-tuba
15'
String Quartet 2
(Cucumber Variation)
(2010)
2 violins, viola, cello 35'
Cucumber Serenades (2009)
(Gurkenlieder)
solo violin, violin choir
electronics
30'
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine (2008) viola, adapted viola, cello
each player also singing
8'
reminded of charlemagne palestine (2007) violin, cello, piano 25'
Spectral Canon No. 1
(for James Tenney)
(2005)
12 contrabasses 10'
John Jenkins (2001/11) 6 instruments (open),
2 manual harpsichord in Just Intonation
15'
Johann Sebastian Bach RICERCAR
Musikalisches Opfer 1
(2001/11)
composed jointly with Wolfgang von Schweinitz
3 parts (open),
computer sounds
open
‘Hope’ — Gioseffo Zarlino (2000/15)
text : Philostratus (the elder)
English translation : Christian Wolff
male and female voices, bass flute,
clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano
8'
Idyllily (2000)   composed jointly with
Martin Arnold, John Oswald, Richard Wagner
11 solo strings and optional voices 13'
Backyard summer patio (1999) bass clarinet, percussion, piano 9'
Three Fleshy Loves (1998) clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano 19'
Everlasting sweet peas (1998) 3 violins 10'
Modernes Kaufhaus (1998/2010) clarinet/bass cl, trombone, cello, piano 11'
Trio for piano violin cello (1998)
tuned in Just Intonation
17'
You & Mr Mason (1997) 11 piano players
no previous experience required
10'
Mein Mantel ist weg (1997) piano, amplified clavichord, violin,
soprano/alto sax, whistling,
electric bass
10'
Quiet Winter (1996) violin solo and ensemble 20'
pier (1996)
composed jointly with John Oswald
ship’s horns 5'
Beautiful city (1994) string quartet 10'
VOCAL / OPERA
HANDS to MOUTHS (2018)
Marc Sabat / Mareike Yin-Yee Lee
fixed media installation
female Dhrupad voice, video
18'
Seeds of skies, alibis (2017)
Prologue and Part One
6 voices a cappella
and electronics
44'
Al naharot Bavel (2010) contralto, basso, adapted viola,
horn, trombone, tuba
5'
Garden Songs (2009/12)
music about a text by Wolfgang Betke
dobro, alto flute or bass recorder,
percussion, prerecorded voice
9'
Father’s suit and watch (2009)
Marc Sabat / Lorenzo Pompa
based upon the song “House Carpenter”
by Clarence Ashley
video ballet in ten tableaux with
Prologue, Entr’acte and Epilogue
54'
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine (2008) viola, adapted viola, cello
each player also singing
8'
November 15, 1935 - Leaving Santa Barbara (2007)
based on a sketch by Harry Partch
solo male Intoning Voice and Violin
with spoken voice aside
6'
New shoes, without laces (1998)
text / video : Nicolás Fernández
female voice, accordion,
violin, cello, percussion
23'
An Opera (1997)
based on a text by Emmett Williams
composed jointly with Matteo Fargion
male and female voices,
violin and marimba
(or clavichord)
3h 15'
VIDEO
falsche freunde / false friends (2013/2022)
poetry/composition/translation
Uljana Wolf/Marc Sabat/Susan Bernofsky
voice counterpoint 30'
SEE HEAR (2021)
Marc Sabat / Mareike Yin-Yee Lee
music film 40'
LIGHT GROUND (2014-), in progress
Marc Sabat / Mareike Yin-Yee Lee
voice, violin, viola, 2 contrabasses
prerecorded tanpuras and installation
70'
HANDS to MOUTHS (2018)
Marc Sabat / Mareike Yin-Yee Lee
fixed media installation
female Dhrupad voice, video
18'
Father’s suit and watch (2006)
Marc Sabat / Lorenzo Pompa
remix : Michael Hynes
video ballet 52'
AUTOMAT (1999/2007)
music : Marc Sabat video : Peter Sabat
music scenery for 2 violins
video and field recording
14'
Three for Magister Zacharias (1997/2002)
music : Marc Sabat video : Peter Sabat
videotaped performance at
Skywalker Sound, Marin County CA
25'
Change in your pocket (1997/2002)
music : Marc Sabat video : Nicolás Fernández
DVD realization : Peter Sabat
videotaped performance at
Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart
12'
WRITING / RESEARCH
31-Limit Helmholtz-Ellis Calculator (2021)
accidentals and ratios to cents
additive synth for microtonal MIDI playback
Max7 32- 64-bit Mac or PC
zip archive 7.2.2021
A Compact Enharmonically Viable Subset of
Harmonic Space: The Stern-Brocot Tree and Some
Thoughts About Lattices and Spirals
(2020)
Marc Sabat & Thomas Nicholson
published in Živá Hudba 220/11
7.6.2021
The Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation (2020)
revised symbols for primes up to 47
entirely based on alterations
of Pythagorean notes
legend and harmonic/subharmonic series
The HEJI2 Font (2020)
cross-platform Unicode opentype fonts
for microtonal JI accidentals
zip archive 7.2.2021
2020 update of the symbols
Farey Sequences Map Playable Nodes on a String (2019)
Marc Sabat & Thomas Nicholson
published in Tempo Vol. 74 No. 291
January 2020
Relative Dissonance (2019)
on my music for string quartet
published in MusikTexte 163
(English and German)
Well temperament revisited (2019)
two extended JI tunings for
two keyboards a quartertone apart
published in Xenharmonikon
2019/06/27
Fundamental Principles of Just Intonation
and Microtonal Composition
(2018)
Marc Sabat & Thomas Nicholson
Introducing my work in microtonally
extended just intonation
(2017)
published in Ostrava Report 2017
Three Tables for Bob (2016) published in Tempo Vol. 70 Issue 278
Euler lattice with sruti regions from D —
a map of 23-limit harmonic space
(2016)
published in Tempo Vol. 70 Issue 278
Some 23-limit enharmonic proximitites (2016) published in Tempo Vol. 70 Issue 278
53-tone 5-limit Euler Lattice (2011/16) published in Tempo Vol. 70 Issue 278
Pantonality Generalised: Ben Johnston’s
artistic researches in extended just intonation

(2014) corr. 2018
published in MusikTexte 144
and Tempo Vol. 69 Issue 272
Shadings in the Chromatic Field (2012) published in MusikTexte 133
Stay Still / Still Stehn (2011) published in Positionen 89
Some Reflections About Sound,
Music and Art
(2010)
published in Positionen 84
On Ben Johnston’s Notation and
the Performance Practice of
Extended Just Intonation
(2009) corr. 2018
monograph for Ben Johnston
and Sylvia Smith
An algorithm for real-time
harmonic microtuning
(2008)
paper presented at the congress
on Sound and Music Computing
Three Crystal Growth Algorithms in
23-limit constrained Harmonic Space
(2007)
based on an article by James Tenney
published in MusikTexte 112 and
in Contemporary Music Review
(vol 27 part I 2008)
Towards an Expanded Definition of
Consonance: Tuneable Intervals on
Horn, Tuba and Trombone
(2006)
Marc Sabat & Robin Hayward
Double Horn in Bb and F:
tuning in Just Intonation
(2005)
Natural Harmonics on Cello and Violin (2005)
23-Limit Tuneable Intervals
above and below A
(2005)
Note: in 2020 the alteration ratios for 17 and 29
were redefined and additional symbols were added;
please see above for a current version of the notation.
The Harmonic Series 1-64 (2005)
Note: in 2020 the alteration ratios for 17 and 29
were redefined and additional symbols were added;
please see above for a current version of the notation.
The Extended Helmholtz Ellis JI Pitch Notation
English text (2005)
Deutsche Fassung : Natalie Pfeiffer
Note: in 2020 the alteration ratios for 17 and 29
were redefined and additional symbols were added;
please see above for a current version of the notation.
Helmholtz Ellis JI Pitch Notation
Introduction and Simple Legend
(2005/9)
original version with accidentals up to 23-limit
Note: in 2020 the alteration ratio for 17 was redefined
and now modifies a Pythagorean augmented octave

Marc Sabat & Wolfgang von Schweinitz
Helmholtz Ellis JI Pitch Notation
Full Legend
(2005)
original (now deprecated) version
with accidentals up to 61-limit
Marc Sabat & Wolfgang von Schweinitz
Johann Sebastian Bach RICERCAR
Musikalisches Opfer 1 INTONATION :
an experimental application of
Extended Rational Tuning
(2003)
PLAINSOUND MUSIC EDITION  cc2023

Unless otherwise indicated, files are made available under a Creative Commons license for artistic and educational purposes. Commercial use without explicit permission of the authors is not permitted.