Jenseits ihrer Tonhöhe i.e. S. können Töne in ihrem Klangcharakter (timbre) unterschieden werden, und dies auch im Zusammenspiel. Timbre ist jedoch eine schlecht definierte Kategorie, ein Sammelbegriff. Bereits im 19. Jahrhundert versuchten Hermann von Helmholtz und Carl Stumpf eine präzisere Bestimmung zu finden. Die von ihnen angenommene multidimensionale Struktur ist heute durch moderne Skalierungstechniken benutzende Forschungen bestätigt und erweitert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen vier Dimensionen: hard/sharp vs. soft/dull, tonal vs. noisy, empty vs. full, compact vs. pure. Beabsichtigt war mit diesem Artikel jedoch nicht nur psychoakustische Befunde vorzustellen, sondern auch kompositorische Techniken des Komponierens mit Klangcharakteren, so bei Schönberg, Cowell, Rudhyar, Ligeti. Jedoch hat eine Eigenschaft von Tönen und Klängen, nämliche die von Debussy benutzte räumliche Dimension, die Wissenschaft bis heute kaum interessiert. Ein Hinweis auf die Theorie von Ernst Kurth zeigt, dass noch immer viele Fragen mit dem Regenschirmbegriff ›Timbre‹ verbunden sind. / Beyond their pitch, tones can be thought of as differing in sound characteristics (timbre) by which they can be segregated simultaneously from one another. However, timbre is an ill-defined category: it is a catchall term of several sound qualities. Already in the 19th century Hermann von Helmholtz and Carl Stumpf tried to find a more precise description. Their assumption about multidimensional structure of timbre-attributes has been confirmed today and augmentated by researches using modern scaling techniques. The results show four dimensions: hard/sharp vs. soft/dull, tonal vs. noisy, empty vs. full, and compact vs. pure. The purpose of this article is not only to report psycho-acoustic results but also to show techniques of composing with the timbre-factors by Schoenberg, Cowell, Rudhyar, and Ligeti. However, one attribute of tones and sounds, namely, its spatial dimension such as that used by Debussy has hardly interested the scientists of today. A clue to the theory of Ernst Kurth reveals that still a lot of questions surround the term ›timbre‹.

Treize Etudes Pour L?Orchestre is a thirteen-movement symphonic work for full contemporary orchestra. The purpose of this work has been to develop a sonic exploration of textural possibilities through the orchestral medium. The motivic materials of the whole piece were first utilized in pieces for one piano, piano and cello and two pianos combinations These smaller pieces ahs been included in the appendix section of this work. The orchestral work does not represent an orchestration of the smaller pieces, but an expansion of the material into different textural studies. Preparation for this work includes the study of twelve different bird sounds, first recorded and later musically transcribed to create thematic materials and secondary materials for this work; the study of production of fabric of sounds representing color spectrums and intensity through sound tapestries, and the sonic representation of water, a starry dark night and the jungle. The Treize Etudes Pour L?Orchestre is formally a through-composed work. The different musical materials created as motive unity of the whole work have been developed throughout it by means of using a variety of compositional devices and techniques including Schoenberg?s Klangfarbenmelodie, Messiaen?s ?Language Musicale?, Ives? quadraphonic effect, and Samuel Adler?s sound curtain technique, and, the use of folk-like materials; all within the parameters of acoustic instrumentation.