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The other concerts of Blindman Quartet in the Archa Theatre
BL!NDMAN QUARTET: Polyphonic Variations
January 13, 2000
The Belgium saxophone ensemble BL!NDMAN QUARTET hitches baroque scores onto contemporary compositions that handle polyphony in a highly individual way. These works run through Chorale Partitas -little-known organ works by J.S. Bach- and, together with BL!NDMAN's visual approach, give a kaleidoscopic dimension to the musical material. Each choral partita has its own atmosphere, and by way of its variations, demonstrates Bach's inventiveness and the innovative view of the German polyphonic tradition.
The original attitude of BL!NDMAN QUARTET makes possibilities to excel Bach's music in the extraordinary sounds produced by the saxophone, which evokes as harsh sound of certain baroque organs, as the velvety tones of the oboes d'amore or English horns in Bach's finest arias.
The organic saxophones of BL!NDMAN create an opportunity for the 300 year-old scores to meet with the music of our recent decades, and come to a fascinating balance between the known and the surprising. A sparkling start to the new century of all possibilities.
Programme
John Cage - FIVE (5 min)
Five poetic minutes of floating tones, joining and diverging. One hears in Five that every sound played is like the material of a Japanese Haiku - measured, needing to be exactly where it is played. It is vintage Cage: sounds and silences.
Louis Andriessen - WORKERS UNION (5 min)
A very energetic rhythmical piece in which every musician has the obligation to follow the drawing of the melody, but has the freedom to choose his notes.
J. S. Bach - BWV 766: CHRIST, DER DU BIST DER HELLE TAG (11 min)
Cantus Firmus, choral, 6 partitas
J. S. Bach - BWV 770: ACH, WAS SOLL ICH SÜNDER MACHEN (17 min)
Cantus Firmus, choral, 9 partitas
Bach wrote these first Choral partitas when he was not even 15 years old. The melodical freshness is already witness his genius.
Intermission
Eric Sleichim - STALKING (Czech premiere,10 min)
The non-conventional playing of BL!NDMAN is perverted with an electronic treatment. Looped and delayed, the saxophone quartet deals with its proper mirror. Polyphony and rhythm are the main ingredients of a pulsing environment in which the four saxophones develop their talks and whispers.
J. S. Bach - BWV 768: SEI GEGRÜßET, JESU GÜTIG (20 min)
Cantus Firmus, choral, 10 partitas
Bach's most mature choral partitas. During his career he adapted this work that he began writing at the age of 25. Partita 10 is known as one of the most emotional highlights of J.S. Bach's work. His polyphonical skills lead her once more to a great mystical moment.
Steve Reich - NEW YORK COUNTERPOINT (12 min)
Adaptation for the Saxophone Quartet by Susan Fancher
A piece for 11 clarinets (version for saxophone quartet and tape) in three movements that build up to a gigantic climax. The well-known repetitive style of Steve Reich performed by multiplied saxophone quartet hypnotises the listener by ways of melodical fragments.
Artistic Director: Eric Sleichim
Transcription & arrangements: Eric Sleichim
Musical Advice on Bach: François Deppe
Soprano Saxophone: Koen Maas
Alto Saxophone: Eric Sleichim
Tenor Saxophone: Piet Rebel
Baritone Saxophone: Raf Minten
Sound engineer: Alexandre Fostier
Production management: Veerle Vaes
Polyphonic Variations is a BL!NDMAN-production, in co-production with Happy New Ears, Kunstencentrum Vooruit and Ufafabrik Berlin (Artists in Residence programme).
BL!NDMAN is Cultural Ambassador of Flanders with the support of the Flemish Government and has the backing of the Ministry of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Community Commission of the Brussels Capital Region.
The Archa Theatres presents this concert in the framework of the project Brussels - Prague (Prague - European City of Culture 2000).
Performances in the Archa Theatre are presented with the assistance of the Flemish Representative of the Czech Republic.
Thanks for support also to Radio 1.