Transit, the annual festival of contemporary classical music, this year focused on displacement. At three different locations in Leuven, an overview was provided of new classical work, with highlights including a concert for harpsichord and violin alongside new pieces by Daan Janssens and Annelies van Parys. Of the 14 pieces this reviewer heard, 13 began in pianissimo. A new modesty?
An example of a perfectly synchronized combination proved to be Goska Isphording (harpsichord) and Alicja Pilarczyk (violin). Especially in the composition Minimum Movement by Polish composer Anna Sowa, Isphording took the listener along on unexpected applications of the harpsichord: toneless passages, surprising rhythms, stroking the strings with a ribbon, tapping on the soundboard. To this were added clever uses of electronics that extended and warmed the otherwise dry sonority of the instrument. And all this in refreshing dialogue with the violin, where movements were reduced to the absolute minimum.
In {{NOTRANSLATE_1}}, there is always a mix of reality and illusion that are intertwined. Hoffmann the poet (tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz) is the central player. His object of affection? The soprano Stella (soprano Jessica Pratt) in all her forms: Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta. Her opponent? Art in living form: La Muse (mezzo-soprano Julie Bulianne), disguised as Nicklausse. The antagonist is Lindorf (bass-baritone Erwin Schrott), translated into various figures (Spalanzani/Miracle/Dapertutto), but always in the same role. These four form the core that sets the game in motion and ultimately concludes it. (…almost not.) by Daan Janssens, Isphording was given the opportunity to display her virtuosity broadly. This piece (2015) explores the possibilities of the harpsichord in five short sections varying from contrapuntal polyphony (part 1), via a waterfall of notes (part 4) to a recognizable arpeggio (part 5). A short but concentrated and convincingly performed work.
Violinist Alicja Pilarczyk performed the solo piece While she was dreaming (2012) by Swedish composer Jetty Hettne with feeling and variation. The composition is built around a Swedish folk tune (Polish) where contemporary techniques such as ring modulation are applied. Trills, whether or not in double stops, dry pizzicati and sustained harmonies formed a dreamy interpretation of dark Scandinavian winter nights.
© Evy Ottermans © Evy Ottermans
Acoustics
This edition of Transit took place at different locations in Leuven because the regular venue, STUK, is in the middle of a renovation project. Therefore, it had to move to venues such as Studio Manhattan, a former megadisco that now mainly serves as a TV studio. The renowned Italian string ensemble Quartetto Maurice had to experience that the acoustic possibilities of Studio Manhattan fall considerably short of the subtleties that can give a string quartet timeless value. Even the electronics in the String Quartet No. 4 (2003) by British composer Jonathan Harvey was only marginally able to keep its piece in balance. The quiet sections, for example when all musicians stroke the edges of their instruments, didn't reach beyond the front row. Although most nuances were provided with effective echoes via live electronics, ultimately the narrative remained flat and occasionally even tedious.
This also meant that the world premiere of Daan Janssens' Nymphs of the forest didn't receive the recognition it deserved. His piece was the only one performed without electronics in this concert, and the acoustic mishap was all the more noticeable. Nevertheless, the solo passages for the viola da gamba came through beautifully, though the first violin's voice remained somewhat in the background. Fortunately, the quotations and references to music history, as written by Josquin Desprez, were recognizable and functional.
Séverine Ballon
A surprise was the performance by French cellist and composer Séverine Ballon. She opened with the world premiere Shades of light by Belgian composer Annelies van Parys. In this piece, electronics take center stage. As a result, the cello is transformed into a new instrument through distortion and spatial expansion. In this way, an insight is offered into the relationship between humans and their digital environment. The piece develops from a pianissimo opening into a rousing series of harmonic motifs, with electronics increasingly taking up space. Snapping pizzicati show some resistance but gradually the cello sounds fade into friendly yet compelling bell tones. An inevitable outcome of a well-constructed arc of tension.
The delicate balance between pitch and noise was the theme of the world premiere instabilities by British composer Sam Hayden, a specialist in computer-controlled compositional techniques. The piece, written specifically for Ballon, aims to expand the tonal colors specific to the cello such as harmonics, tremolos, extreme leaps, snap pizzicatos, glissandi and microtonal scales. Striking was the close relationship the composer wanted to maintain between the cello and computer-generated extensions. Rather than using extensive sampling techniques, the composer ensured that the origin of the electronics remained close to home—namely the familiar acoustic cello.
Séverine Ballon concluded her concert with the world premiere Extended time for cello and electronics, in which she explores the interplay between singing and speaking. Through short descending and ascending motifs with spare harmonies, the piece lands in a sound world with flutes and horns, ending in a vigorous cadential movement toward a soundless conclusion. A short but muscular tale.
© Evy Ottermans © Evy Ottermans © Evy Ottermans
Electronics
Transit was concluded this year with a joint concert by HERMESensemble and ChampdAction conducted by Koen Kessels. Surprising was the opening with Light arcs, a piece from the previous century (1986) by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. Light arcs is inspired by the northern lights of the Arctic Circle, in which Saariaho uses the computer as a full-fledged part of instrumental music. Two different computer programs for harmony and rhythm are employed. The mystery of the northern lights is made visible through a range of trills, supplemented by dancing pinpricks of light from the piccolo. The electronics are limited to a supporting role, like a thin floating underlay. The piece sounds particularly convincing in the pianissimo motifs, with a haunting beautiful flute. Due to lack of space, the percussion was partially hidden behind speaker boxes and that was noticeable.
A third composition by Daan Janssens was heard: (…without saying anything…) for cello, five instruments and electronics. With Janssens too, electronics emancipate themselves from a neutral underlay to become an independent entity. The piece begins with a confrontation between, on one hand, the cello and, on the other, a group of low registers such as the bass clarinet, bass flute, viola da gamba, piano and percussion. As the piece progresses, the high registers take over and the cello disappears into the background, making way for increasingly more electronics. By the end, electronics have firmly seized the lead role and flute and piano offer cautious support. But the final note of the piece ultimately belongs to the cello again, which brings the circle full circle.
The digital water lilies by Belgian composer Serge Verstockt was the grand finale of this Transit festival. This relatively long composition (40′) aims to capture the tension between rationality and natural instincts. Quotes from German philosopher Immanuel Kant and French nursery rhymes alternate but it remains unclear whether it's a potpourri or a parody. Mezzo Mireille Capelle chose a dated style, with plenty of theatrical flourishes and vibrato that make the listener feel as if they're in the era of World War I. The impressionistic sound clouds and some Debussy quotations at the end connect with that but the relation to the digital world was nowhere to be found. All in all, the listening experience felt much like visiting a flea market—charming but not particularly thrilling.
© Evy Ottermans © Evy Ottermans © Evy Ottermans © Evy Ottermans © Evy Ottermans
WHAT: Transit – the sound of tomorrow
WHERE: Leuven, various locations
WHEN: 28–30 October 2022
