KlangWirbel - the science podcast at the Institute of Music
Sound is not merely a medium through which knowledge is expressed. Sounds evoke emotions; they are physical, usually tied to specific situations, and are, as it were, inseparable from the social actions in which they arise. These affective, situational, and physical dimensions of sound open up new possibilities for engaging with phenomena of music culture and music history.
The term “sound vortex” is inspired by Anna Tsings’ theory. In *The Fungus at the End of the World*, she describes a vortex as a narrative figure that enables polyphony and ambiguity.
This podcast was produced in collaboration with students from the Institute of Music and invites listeners to understand listening and the act of making sound as a circulating, ever-changing, and polyphonic movement.
Concept and Direction: Prof. Dr. Evelyn Buyken (Musicology/Sound Studies)
Worldwide Anger
“World Wide Wut” is based on the assumption that emotions are historically and geographically variable. Anger depends on the historical and sociocultural context in which it is felt and expressed. If we take this diversity and historical malleability of anger as the starting point for our thinking, it will inevitably shape our perspective on music and sound as well.
How are anger, music, and sound related to one another? How do music and sounds artistically deconstruct anger, and how do they creatively frame it? To what extent do we encounter anger in music culture as a sanctioned phenomenon to be avoided—for example, by allowing only certain subjects to articulate anger in a positive way?
Anger thus also functions as a kind of reference point around which marginalization and injustices coalesce—not least in music.
Concept and Direction: Prof. Dr. Evelyn Buyken (Musicology/Sound Studies)
Podcast Series: World Wide Rage
Concept and Direction: Prof. Dr. Evelyn Buyken (Musicology/Sound Studies)
Technical Mastering: Sophie Grygier and Agni Mitra
Guest: Prof. Dr. Marie-Louise Herzfeld-Schild (mdw Vienna)
Hosts: Sanne, Lucas, Neele
Date of recording: November 12, 2025
Date of publication: July 22, 2026
In this episode, we join Marie-Louise Herzfeld-Schild on a journey to explore anger in music culture. We’ll guide you through a wide variety of musical examples spanning several centuries, ranging from the Middle Ages to contemporary film scores. Along the way, we’ll discuss emotions in music and how they—particularly the emotion of anger—have evolved throughout history.
Guest: Britta Görtz (harsh-vocal singer)
Hosts: Sophie, Jana, Angelika
Recording date: December 3, 2025
Release date: July 22, 2026
In this podcast, we’re joined by Britta Görtz. She is active in the international extreme metal scene as a vocalist, songwriter, and sought-after expert on vocal techniques. She is currently the lead singer of the melodic death metal band “Hiraes.” In addition to her stage experience, she has extensive teaching expertise. She focuses on the healthy application of extreme vocal techniques, such as screaming, growling, and shouting. Furthermore, Britta founded Harsh Vocal Camp, a training center for metal vocals and extreme vocal techniques.
Guests: Art education students from the University of Siegen & Prof. Dr. Magdalena Eckes
Hosts: Melvin, Jona
Recording date: December 17, 2025
Date of publication: July 22, 2026
Can or should anger be artificially generated in educational contexts? How can anger be expressed artistically? To what extent should anger be understood as a sign of marginalization and injustice? Is anger the result of a mistake that should be avoided? This podcast episode explores these and other questions. Together with Prof. Dr. Evelyn Buyken from the Department of Music and art educator Prof. Dr. Magdalena Eckes, the participants in the music education seminar titled “Anger: An Emotional Practice at the Intersection of Artistic Expression and Regulation” had the opportunity to conduct an exciting experiment…
Guest: Prof. Dr. Anna Schürmer (Free University of Berlin)
Hosts: Felix, Tim
Date of recording: January 14, 2026
Date of publication: July 22, 2026
Why does music sometimes lead to turmoil, slaps, and political protests? In this episode of “Klangwirbel,” we speak with media and cultural studies scholar Anna Schürmer about anger as an acoustic phenomenon in musical scandals. Starting with the famous “Vienna Slap Concert” of 1913 and moving on to protests at Hans Werner Henze’s *The Raft of the Medusa* in 1968, we examine how musical conflicts arise and how they are passed down through history. It becomes clear that anger is not just a feeling, but an audible event—a sound that brings opposites together. Finally, we raise the question of whether such “sonic scandals” are even possible anymore in the digital age.