The Bells of Cologne Cathedral

The Cologne Cathedral in Germany houses eleven bells cast between the early 14th century and the late 20th century. These bells interest me not only for their historical intrigue, but also for their sonic qualities. The inharmonic partials ring out so clearly and strongly that the sound lies in the ambiguous space between timbre and harmony. This piece explores that ambiguity by synthesizing the bell timbres (determined via spectral analysis) on the pianos, and treating those timbres as harmonies which transition from one to the next using a variety of modulatory techniques. The bell harmonies are presented in the following order, from highest to lowest fundamental pitch:

*Consecration bell (cast 1322, 81cm 425kg)
*Matins and Vespers bell (cast 1719, 79cm 280kg)
*Angelus bell (cast 1322, 105cm 762kg)
Ave bell (cast 1911, 108cm 830kg)
Chapter bell (cast 1911, 129cm 1400kg)
St. Joseph's bell (cast 1990, 147cm 2110kg)
St. Ursula's bell (cast 1862, 160cm 2550kg)
Magi bell (cast 1880, 174cm 3800kg)
Speciosa (cast 1449, 203cm 5600kg)
Pretiosa (cast 1448, 240cm 10500kg)
St. Peter's bell (cast 1923, 322cm 24000kg, currently the largest free-swinging bell in the world

*Indicates that the bell is used on special occasions, and is not part of the standard peal of 8 bells