Mallarmé
Mallarmé is a three‑part composition by Paul Haslinger and Christian Wittman, inspired by Stéphane Mallarmé’s revolutionary poem Un coup de dés jamais n’abolira le hasard. The poem — “a seemingly chaotic yet meticulously orchestrated topography of meaning” — forms the foundation for a musical exploration in which language, space, and sound dissolve into one another.
Mallarmé’s text disrupts the traditional act of reading: syntax is fractured, narrative linearity disappears, and meaning is no longer built sequentially but dispersed spatially across the page. This radical gesture — “a rupture that redefines the very act of reading” — is translated by Haslinger and Wittman into a sonic architecture in which listening becomes a multidimensional experience.
The three movements unfold “fluid and organically evolving,” like a shifting soundscape in constant transformation. Minimalist structures alternate with impressionistic colors, atmospheric resonances, and subtle experiments. The music breathes the temporality of the poem: moments of silence, stretched time, and sudden shifts reminiscent of Mallarmé’s typographic leaps.
In Un coup de dés (23:00), the listener is immersed in a slowly pulsating space where sound and chance intersect. Jamais n’abolira (21:00) deepens the sense of disruption: layers of sound appear and vanish like fragments of a poem continually rearranging itself. Le hasard (22:00) concludes with an impressionistic, almost ethereal movement in which the music unfolds as a “realm of tonal poetry.”
The project is both an homage to Mallarmé’s literary radicality and an autonomous musical exploration. By translating the principles of the poem — non‑linearity, spatiality, semantic fragmentation — into sound, Haslinger and Wittman create a work that blurs the boundaries between literature, composition, and sound art. Mallarmé becomes a sonic interpretation of chance, space, and meaning: a labyrinth of sound in which the listener may wander, just as Mallarmé once sought to disrupt the act of reading.
The Composers and Musicians
Christian Wittman, founding member of the French electronic and ambient group Lightwave, brings a long‑standing exploration of atmospheric classical, minimalism, and experimental sound design. His work often inhabits the threshold between structure and suspension — a sensibility that resonates deeply with Mallarmé’s spatial poetics.
Paul Haslinger, Austrian composer and former member of Tangerine Dream, contributes his signature blend of electronic and orchestral elements. Known for immersive, emotionally resonant soundscapes — from solo works like Exit Ghost to acclaimed scores such as the BAFTA‑winning Somewhere Boy — Haslinger’s approach adds a cinematic depth and temporal elasticity to the project.
Together, Haslinger and Wittman merge their distinct sonic identities into a unified exploration of Mallarmé’s radical literary gesture. By translating the poem’s principles — non‑linearity, spatiality, semantic fragmentation — into sound, they create a work that blurs the boundaries between literature, composition, and sound art. Mallarmé becomes a sonic interpretation of chance, space, and meaning: a labyrinth of sound in which the listener may wander, just as Mallarmé once sought to disrupt the act of reading.
Label: NOION MUSIC
Catalogue nr / Release‑ID: NOI1010
Year: 2026
