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Sound poetry (also known as tone poetry) centres round written words, just like any form of poetry. The words however have no direct meaning. They are non-linguistic and senseless (and consequently unintelligible) combinations of letters and syllables. You do not look for its literal meaning, you have to listen to its sound / rhythm / music and find some feeling, emotion or understanding in that. This is what sound poetry is all about.
Words sung by human voices
One of the most famous poems of this type was created by Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) in the period 1921-1932. This is the "Sonata in Urläuten" (nowadays called "Ursonate"). Schwitters was a German artist, more commonly known for his (abstract) collages (Merzbilder or Merz-pictures). He also played an important part in dadaism.
The "Ursonate" was constructed with great logic, precision and concentration; a totally abstract work. It is strongly musically oriented, even though it is performed by human voice only. In the years 1926-1932 it gradually grew to its final form of seven sections: introduction, four movements, a cadence in the fourth movement and finale. Schwitters gave many performances, all the while perfecting it.
The biggest problem was to find a suitable system of notation. Schwitters did not quite succeed in this. The sonata is written down in lines of phonetics, with some remarks in German. However, notes, tempi and dynamics are not specified. This may give the performer a bit of freedom, but there is no way to find out from the score how Schwitters intended the piece to sound. But! Luckily there exists a complete gramophone recording of the sonata performed by the author himself. This was recorded perhaps in 1931. Total time for the recording is slightly over forty minutes.
Below we present the complete score and the audio recorded by Schwitters.
(theme 14)
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuEe
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Ooo bee ooo bee
Ooo bee ooo bee
Ooo bee ooo bee
Ooo bee ooo bee
(repeat the fourth part from the beginning to here)
(cadence (ad libitum))
(here the cadence is maintained, it can however be modified by the interpreter, using parts of the entire sonata, or even new themes)
Priimiiti
Priimiititii
Priimiititii too
Priimiititii taa
Priimiititii too
Priimiititii taa
Priimiititii tootaa
Priimiititii tootaa
Priimiititii tuutaa
Priimiititii tuutaa
Priimiititii tootaatuu
Priimiititii tootaatuu
Priimiititii tuutaatoo
Priimiititii tuutaatoo
Tatta tatta tuutaa too
Tatta tatta tuutaa too
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tatta tatta tuiEe tuiiEe
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tilla lalla tilla lalla
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tuii tuii tuii tuii
Tee tee tee tee
Tee tee tee tee
Ooo bee ooo bee
Ooo bee ooo bee
Ooo bee ooo bee
Ooo bee ooo bee
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dll Rrrrr bee bö
Fümms bö wö tää zää Uu,
pögiff,
müü
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
rakete rinnzekete
Beeeee
bö
Bee
bö
Böwö
böwörö
Böwöböpö
böwöröböpo
Böwörötääböpo
böwörötääböpo
tääböpo
tüüböpo
tääböpo
tüüböpo
Ooka ooka ooka ooka
Züüka züüka züüka züüka
Rmmp rnnf rmmp rnnf
Rumftillfftoo? Rrrrrrum!
Lanke trr gll? Rrrrrrum!
Dedesnn nn rrrrr? Rrrrrrum!
Mpiff tillff too? Rrrrrrum!
Zikete bee bee? Rrrrrrum!
Fö? Rrrrrrum!
Ennze, enzee? Rrrrrrum!
Rrumpfftilffto?
Bee bee bee bee bee
Zee zee zee zee zee
Pe pe pe pe pe
Pii pii pii pii pii
Poo poo poo poo poooo?
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm (stronger intonation)
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Grimm glimm gnimm bimbimm
Ooo bee (weaker intonation)
Ooo bee
Ooo bee
Ooo bee
(final)
Zätt üpsiilon iks (excited)
Wee fau Uu
Tee äss ärr kuu
Pee Oo änn ämm
Ell kaa Li haa
Gee äff Ee dee zee
beee?
Zätt üpsiilon iks (more excited)
Wee fau Uu
Tee äss ärr kuu
Pee Oo änn ämm
Ell kaa Li haa
Gee äff Ee dee zee beee?
Zätt üpsiilon iks (normal)
Wee fau Uu
Tee äss ärr kuu
Pee Oo änn ämm
Ell kaa Li haa
Gee äff Ee dee zee beee Aaaaa
Zätt (excited)
üpsiilon iks
Wee fau Uu
Tee äss ärr kuu
Pee Oo änn ämm
Ell kaa Li haa
Gee äff Ee dee zee beeee? (afflicted)
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