In music perpetuum mobile (Latin, English pronunciation /pəːˌpɛtjʊəm ˈməʊbɪleɪ, ˈməʊbɪli), moto perpetuo (Italian), mouvement perpétuel (French), 'movimento perpétuo' (Portuguese) movimiento perpetuo (Spanish), literally meaning "perpetual motion", has two distinct meanings: pieces of music, or parts of pieces, characterised by a continuous steady stream of notes, usually at a rapid tempo, or whole pieces, or large parts of pieces, which are to be played repeatedly, often an indefinite number of times.
As separate compositions
As a separate piece, a "Perpetuum Mobile" can be defined as a composition where (a large part of) the piece is intended to be repeated an (often not specified) number of times, without the "motion" of the melody being halted when a repeat begins. Canons are often intended to be performed in a moto perpetuo fashion (which, in that case, can be called canon perpetuus).
In some cases the repeats of a "perpetuum mobile" piece are at a different pitch (while a modulation or a chord progression occurs during the repeatable part): some of the riddle canons of Bach's Das Musikalische Opfer are examples of this particular kind of Perpetuum Mobile/Canon Perpetuus.
Perpetuum Mobile is an album by Einstürzende Neubauten. It is an offshoot of their first supporters-only recording experiment. It was released with Mute Records, in part to facilitate a world tour.
Track listing
“Ich gehe jetzt” – 3:31 [English: "I am going now"]
“Perpetuum Mobile” – 13:41
“Ein leichtes leises Säuseln” – 4:31
“Selbstportrait mit Kater” – 6:12
“Boreas” – 3:59
“Ein seltener Vogel” – 9:14
“Ozean und Brandung” – 3:44
“Paradiesseits” – 4:07
“Youme & Meyou” – 4:39
“Der Weg ins Freie” – 4:04
“Dead Friends (Around the Corner)” – 5:14
“Grundstück” – 3:41
Themes
Perpetuum Mobile contains overarching references to its namesake perpetuum mobile (the musical term) and to perpetual motion (the physical concept). Other ideas include Boreas, Ararat (of note both for the Einstürzende Neubauten song "Armenia" and Mount Ararat), travel and airplanes, and rare birds.
eine dunkle Wolke zeichnet ihre Bahn ständig in Bewegung kommt sie nirgends an dampfend und zischend alles gut geschmiert irdeneinen Nutzen hat man nie registriert hier kommt sie aus Chrom und Stahl Gott der Leiden Herr der Qual stampfend ihre Räder dreht mahlt zu Brei was ihr im Weg ein Rädchen greift ins andre immerzu im Kreis riesig ihre Kolben der Kessel glühend heiss von nirgendwo gekommen war sie schon immer hier ich weiss solang ich lebe bin ich ein Teil von ihr hörst du wie sie rasselt wie sie rattert wie sie leise singt hörst du wie sie rumpelt wie sie scheppert wie sie leise stöhnt hörst du wie sie klappert wie sie knattert wie sie leise klingt hörst du sie hier kommt sie aus Chrom und Stahl Gott der Leiden Herr der Qual
Runtime. 2 hours including one intermission ... the New York State Thruway) ... It was a plan! ... While most concertos are in three movements, Sierra decided four would be better, and so we get both a scherzo movement and a “perpetuum mobile” finale.
it can’t be danced gently ... But Sophie Allnatt, LiamBoswell and Marco Masciari excelled in the perpetuum mobile of a pas de trois that is one of this adorable ballet’s many highlights, and overall the performance infected me with a persistent smile ... .
Above. Erwin Olaf’s Narratives of emancipation, desire and intimacy at Fernan Gomez cultural centre. Photograph. La Fabrica... *** ... A group exhibition, Perpetuum mobile, celebrates the work of 27 Spanish photographers who have emerged since the millennium ... .
The failure to introduce any sonic disruptors this time, such as the introduction of air horns on PerpetuumMobile, means that Rampen has an unusual surety to it, free from the wildcard elements that can take things into uncharted territories ... ....
The failure to introduce any sonic disruptors this time, such as the introduction of air horns on PerpetuumMobile, means that Rampen has an unusual surety to it, free from the wildcard elements that can take things into uncharted territories ... ....
Johan Eddebo. On January 13, this Saturday, Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections are simultaneously held. There’s a lot at stake ...CentralTaichung ... A perpetuum mobile that pointlessly sifts the same set of soybeans, over and over again.
Since we found out about energy, right up until the point we found out it violated the laws of physics, people have dreamed of creating a perpetual motion machine ...Early designs for such a device include the PerpetuumMobile of Villard de Honnecourt ... .
Rimsky, the Orientalist, focuses on the narratives themselves ... Yet we’re also conscious of modernist and classical tradition closer to home in the Bartókian perpetuum mobile of the second movement and the variations on a Turkish song in the third ... ....
