Morning Concert:
Bernard Heidsieck

From a program recorded in May of 1991, Charles Amirkhanian interviews pioneering French sound poet Bernard Heidsieck. In the 1950s and 60s Heidsieck’s poetry readings often incorporated a performance component such as physical gestures or the use of simple props. At that time he also began to experiment with tape recorders, often performing in a sort of counterpoint to his own recorded words. More recent works include his “Respirations et Brèves Rencontres” or “Breaths and Brief Encounters” series in which he uses recordings of famous authors breathing to create the sense of an interaction or conversation with the deceased writers. In this interview he describes the evolution of his work and discusses several of his pieces, including “Respirations et brèves rencontres”, “Canal Street, No. 5”, and “Ravaillac Tu Connais?”, excerpts of which are included in the program.