24 August 2021, Biel (CH),
Ensemble SON, prod. TOBS, dur. 10:39 mins
- Flöte Flûte Joana Fernandes
- Oboe Hautbois Anna Štrobová
- Klarinette Clarinette Gabriel Pernet
- Fagott Basson Yisol Shin
- Horn Cor Maurin Jenni Andreas Font
- Trompete Tromette Magdalena Rosenberg
- Posaune Trombone João Bastos
Musical Direction/coordination Kaspar Zehnder
Recording Engineer NN
As „promised“ some impressions from the concert „Vent d’alleurs“ in Biel/Bienne.
Just for the most courious: All went well, no mishapps, no churchbells or telephones destroying a triple pianissmo. The audience was supportive and interested in the music. Keep in mind that concerts which include only premieres or contemporary music aren’t daily diet of Biel-people. (Anywhere in the world?) – I do expect a highly professional vid+audio recording by what I have seen was set up.
The whole project is part of a cooperation between a foundation to foster orchestra musicians and the TOBS Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn. The young players are from many countries discovering different ways of ensemble playing.
The venue is a modernist landmark building from 1966 of the Zwingli-reformatory branch.
A young conductor, Kaspar Zehnder, had coached the musicians and presented the program to the audience during the concert. He had also changed the final program order for musico-dramaturgical reasons. So it finally was:
Ellin
Stuardo
Farias
Desi
Szewach
Dazzi
The concert was more energetic than the general rehearsal I attended together with Gualtero Dazzi. The musicians had a more ensemble like attitude, adding brillance, expression and a broader overall range of dynamics to the playing.
I would like to note that the „no conductor“ conditition is interesting but sheds also light on what a conductor is good for, like speeding up things. I won’t go into details about the pieces. Allow me being somehow simplifying things here…
Ellin’s is an energetic ensemble piece, in an effective post-modernist style somehow near to a movie score, which was accurately together. – Stuardo’s quintett was played from the balcony which was nice to change the perspective on the sound. It sounded quite intricate rhythmically but was met with very high precision by the players. – Farias‘ piece was presented as being very difficult to master without a conductor in short time, so Kaspar had decided to conduct it. I haven’t seen the score, but it worked well focussing on creating special sounds. – Desi’s (err… mine) is a „surround“ piece, where the two horn players walk one cycle while mingling into the multiphonics of the reeds. The accoustics of the church helped to melt the sounds. – Szewach’s string quintet was also astonishingly synchronized. It seemed to me very intricate metrically and rhythmically. Also strings usually are maybe well trained to play together it was well mastered in the short time. – Dazzi’s trio with Marimba, clarinet and bassoon created a symphatetic finale for an interesting, heterostylistic, musically rewarding and highly professional evening with radically new music in Biel. My guess, my impressions. Cheers.
an der schönen blauen donau, austria, basson, biel, church music, clarinet, contemporary music, donauwalzer, flute, horn, instrumental theatre, johann strauss, meditation, multiphonics, new church music, new music, oboe, spatial sound, suisse, surround sound, trumbone, trumpet, wind ensemble, zwingli chruch