Nord!

Description

In «Nord» the Ensemble Phoenix Basel combines three works by the composers Magnus Lindberg, Tze Yeung Ho, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir, thereby breaking the boundaries of «absolute new music» through theatrical and electronic means.
With «UR» for five instruments and live electronics, Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg created the chamber music counterpart to the brutal orchestral work «Kraft». It combines the dense energy, influenced by punk rock and spectralism, of early Lindberg with precisely controlled electronic sound manipulation. Rhythms, chord sequences, and harmonic processes were generated using mathematical calculations and the programming language «LeLisp». The title «UR» also refers to the ancient Sumerian city Ur and to the prefix used in German and Swedish for something extreme, primal, or primitive. In Swedish, the word «ur» also means «clock» or «storm».
Based on Peter Maxwell Davies’ «Eight Songs for a Mad King», «over the threshold; right foot» by Norwegian composer Tze Yeung Ho draws on ancient Chinese poems about court ladies of various dynasties. The focus is on the relationship between a parrot and the person speaking to it. The parrot acts as a symbol of courtly loneliness. As a constant companion, it repeats the thoughts addressed to it, making the isolation of its owners audible.
In «Enigma», Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir revolves around the concept of «the in-between» and juxtaposes flow and fragmentation. A pulsating, constantly changing sound foundation dialogues with fragmented musical gestures that appear, change, and disappear again. The perspective shifts continuously between foundation and fragment, while their relationship, the «in-between», forms the core of the work. Participants and additional information:
N. N. (Contratenor); Ensemble Phoenix Basel; Jürg Henneberger (Musical Direction)

Highlights

• Performance by Ensemble Phoenix Basel
• Works by Magnus Lindberg, Tze Yeung Ho, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir
• Innovative combination of music theater and electronics

General Information

The event «Nord» takes place at Gare du Nord in Basel and presents three significant works by contemporary composers. Ensemble Phoenix Basel combines musical and electronic elements to push the boundaries of new music.

Location

Schwarzwaldallee 200, 4058 Basel, Switzerland

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