Hard Boiled Variations by Arnulf Herrmann is a 41-minute work for ensemble and dance. Two aspects are at the centre of it: on the one hand, the piece addresses different facets of acceleration or the different ways of creating the impression of acceleration, and on the other hand, the play of proximity and distance or sharpness and blurriness. The reference to visual perception and the visual arts is quite intentional—comparable to the gradual receding from a canvas, the details fade with increasing distance (or acceleration) and the overriding contours come to the fore until finally only the overall impression of the picture remains recognisable.

The piece was premiered on 6 May 2022 at the Wittener Tage fr Neue Kammermusik by Ensemble Modern and CocoonDance under the direction of Elena Schwarz.

The full score (EP 14547) is available for sale as part of the Peters Contemporary Library. The performance material can be hired. This product is printed on demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer.