SYMBIOSIS -
This week was musical and despite a growing number of exhibitions I want to see, I didn’t get around to anything until yesterday.
The music was modern and in two cases the relationship between word and notes. One of the recitals was «Danses Nocturnes» over the music of Benjamin Britten. Charlotte Rampling was reciting poetry by Sylvia Plath who played the only instrument - the violoncello. At least every word was distinct. Rampling comes from an English school who knows how to project. The first concert was not of that calibre. I was relieved to hear at interval spectators saying «I didn’t understand a word - did you?»
But the most exciting concert was the pianist Piotr Anderszewski playing Bartok. My brother had introduced me to this musician a few years ago. I was thrilled to see he was playing in one of our season’s concerts. It was like no other experience I have had. The concerto n° 3 for piano is an extremely complex and difficult music to play and yet, Piotr became the notes, the piano - there was a total symbiosis between the two. Did the conductor exist? Piotr also seemed to be conducting with his body. The «curtain calls» went on and on and finally he came back and played a rather melancholy piece. As there was no announcement as to what it was, I am guessing that Bartok was also the composer. This, I might add, was before the interval. It’s most unusual in our world to have an «encore» at that moment.
My intention was to see an exhibition of Pierre Henry’s «autoportraits». He is a composer and a musician I came across many years ago. An introduction to concrete music. He’s a loner and works with sounds he manipulates. Pierre H. is undoubtedly the Father of concrete music in France. I knew that the exhibition would not be around «real» self portraits but was fascinated to know what he would come up with in his 51 autoportraits.
He also considers himself to be an artist.
His language is unique of it’s kind. Most of the «panels» are made out of wood where he places composite and bits and pieces of objects where he has obtained his sound. He calls them his «concrete paintings». They represent periods in his musical career or with artists he has worked with like Maurice Bejart. It’s a mysterious world where he explores a new pictural form and becomes - if they are autoportraits - the music. So without knowing it, the musical week became a symbiosis between man and the instrument.
The music continues with this exhibition (left) followed by three others I am looking forward to see when I return from China.
The music was modern and in two cases the relationship between word and notes. One of the recitals was «Danses Nocturnes» over the music of Benjamin Britten. Charlotte Rampling was reciting poetry by Sylvia Plath who played the only instrument - the violoncello. At least every word was distinct. Rampling comes from an English school who knows how to project. The first concert was not of that calibre. I was relieved to hear at interval spectators saying «I didn’t understand a word - did you?»
But the most exciting concert was the pianist Piotr Anderszewski playing Bartok. My brother had introduced me to this musician a few years ago. I was thrilled to see he was playing in one of our season’s concerts. It was like no other experience I have had. The concerto n° 3 for piano is an extremely complex and difficult music to play and yet, Piotr became the notes, the piano - there was a total symbiosis between the two. Did the conductor exist? Piotr also seemed to be conducting with his body. The «curtain calls» went on and on and finally he came back and played a rather melancholy piece. As there was no announcement as to what it was, I am guessing that Bartok was also the composer. This, I might add, was before the interval. It’s most unusual in our world to have an «encore» at that moment.
My intention was to see an exhibition of Pierre Henry’s «autoportraits». He is a composer and a musician I came across many years ago. An introduction to concrete music. He’s a loner and works with sounds he manipulates. Pierre H. is undoubtedly the Father of concrete music in France. I knew that the exhibition would not be around «real» self portraits but was fascinated to know what he would come up with in his 51 autoportraits.
He also considers himself to be an artist.
His language is unique of it’s kind. Most of the «panels» are made out of wood where he places composite and bits and pieces of objects where he has obtained his sound. He calls them his «concrete paintings». They represent periods in his musical career or with artists he has worked with like Maurice Bejart. It’s a mysterious world where he explores a new pictural form and becomes - if they are autoportraits - the music. So without knowing it, the musical week became a symbiosis between man and the instrument.
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The music continues with this exhibition (left) followed by three others I am looking forward to see when I return from China.
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