Modern Times (2010)

Everything is made—from washing machines to televisions, from cars to airplanes—according to the rule that it must wear out and break down after a number of years, so that people are forced to buy something new. Spare parts are no longer produced. The environment continues to deteriorate, especially due to the enormous waste problem that has arisen as a result. In the past, it was normal for a device to last for years without needing to be replaced. An example of this is the typewriter, which—although replaced by the computer—still manages to survive in antique shops.

MODERN TIMES describes today’s consumer culture, where one theme is replaced by another—first slowly, then more rapidly—until all instruments push in on each other in chaos, and nothing remains of the original plan. Yet the typewriter, with its steady rhythm, manages to endure, after which the instruments come together again and finish the piece in unison.

This composition won ‘The Bronze Ear’ price for best composition in the New Years Concert Competition.

*This work is not (yet) published. Please contact the composer for all enquiries.