in brief
13.07.2023

Der er huller i disse toner fra Theresienstadt

Susan Philipsz: »Study for Strings Sokol Terzín«
© Jens Henrik Daugaard
© Jens Henrik Daugaard

To ensomme instrumenter – bratsch og cello – høres på hvert sit lydspor ved hver sin videoskærm, som viser optagelser fra den tidligere kz-lejr Theresienstadt: afskallede mure, spindelvæv, en gymnastiksal uden liv. Kompositionen, de spiller, er skabt hér; den tjekkisk-jødiske komponist Pavel Haas (1899-1944) skrev et orkesterværk, som nazisterne brugte som lydspor til en propagandafilm om Theresienstadt. Vi hører ikke noget orkester. Det er derfor, de to instrumenter lyder så forladte. Selv om de også taler sammen; toner gentages mange gange, som prøver de at puste liv i de tomme rum. Melodilinjerne er løsrevet ud af den sammenhæng, de burde være i, men ikke kan være i, fordi komponisten blev myrdet kort efter, han opførte værket.

Som andre Holocaust-repræsentationer lader den Turner Prize-vindende skotske kunstner Susan Philipsz os se, at de synlige spor af uhyrlighederne er forsvundet. Kameraet gør sig umage. I dén rungende tomhed runger de spøgelsesagtige guirlander af toner, som ikke passer sammen. De er fyldt med huller – der burde have været flere musikere til at få dette musikstykke til at lyde rigtigt. I højttalerne lyder celloen og bratschen næsten elektriske, uhyggelige, det er så langsomt det hele, tonerne strækkes, til de ikke kan mere. I sin bog Images malgré tout (Billeder trods alt) forsvarede kunstteoretikeren Georges Didi-Huberman brugen af alle billeder, som eksisterer fra grusomhederne. Det samme her: Haas’ musik påkalder sig at blive hørt, ikke glemt. De er lyde, trods alt. Amputerede, skønhedssøgende, eller rester af noget skønhedssøgende. For ingen komponist – selv under de værst tænkelige forhold – laver musik, som er bevidst ond. 

© Mads Nissen
»Music is what gets my gears turning. It sets both my body and mind in motion – and on a good day, even gets them up to speed. My listening habits are entirely shaped by my mood... and by the musical tastes of my two children, which shift every eight minutes... so the home stereo gets exposed to a bit of everything. In a way, that’s exactly how it should be. Room for everything and everyone.«
 
David Dyrholm (b. 1990) is a food and music critic for Politiken, focusing on jazz – ranging from the traditional to the modern—and avant-garde music. Alongside this, he has worked for the Modern Jazz Days festival, served on the jury for the DMA Jazz awards, and previously released a number of records with the hip-hop collective DoktorDoktor.
in briefrelease
25.09

An Organ in the Dark Forest of Doubt

Calum Builder: »Although Changed, I Arise the Same«
© PR
© PR

Last year, Builder released Poor_in_Spirit, an album in which he explored, on his own, the sonic possibilities of his self-built organ. It was an album shaped by this exploration, but ultimately also by the limitations of the organ itself. On Although Changed, I Arise the Same, the composer finds a way beyond them.

The organ is now joined by three additions: Builder’s own alto saxophone, along with the voices of Zola Mennenöh and Johanna Sulkunen. It makes all the difference, providing the diversity of instrumentation that Builder has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to compose for. At times, the organ’s bass sinks beneath the voices and saxophone like a light haze; at others, it envelops them in a heavy fog. It howls like wind in the trees and roars like a train in the night. Mennenöh and Sulkunen sing, chant and breathe simple, repetitive phrases about spiritual uncertainty and searching, as though lost in the dark forest of doubt.

It is a Spartan form of storytelling, giving the listener enough lyricism and atmosphere to set the mind in motion, but never so much that it becomes overwhelming. This is where Builder’s strength lies: his music clearly grows out of his life and experiences, yet he composes in such a way that the listener is invited to enter the story with their own imagination.

Builder determines the colours, but leaves part of the picture to the listener. It is an album that is far more restrained in its dramaturgy than previous releases. No less beautiful or inspiring for it.

English translation: Andreo Michaelo Mielczarek

© PR

»For us, music is a transcendent force with transformative potential – something we get to experience and shape when we create sound together. It is an opportunity to describe one’s innermost universes without words, and the best way for an introvert to express intense emotions at full volume.« 

With roots in Copenhagen’s experimental jazz and punk scene, Echo, Bravo challenges the notion of what a rock band can sound like. The quintet blends post-punk, free punk, and noise rock into a raw and unpredictable soundscape. They describe the music themselves as a kind of »empty-the-fridge soup,« where various leftovers come together. »Best enjoyed as a hot meal in a cold industry.«

 
 
© Ultima
© Ultima

Thorbjørn Tønder Hansen has died. With Thorbjørn’s passing, the art music community has lost one of the Nordic region’s most significant producers, curators and cultural leaders.

© PR

»Music is the best way to discover myself and understand the world around me.«

Luca Quintavalle is a harpsichordist, fortepianist and conductor. He has performed with ensembles including Concerto Köln, Harmonie Universelle, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and the Kölner Kammerorchester at venues and festivals such as the Kölner Philharmonie, Salzburg Festival and Enescu Festival. He was harpsichordist of Les Musiciens du Prince, led by Cecilia Bartoli, for over five years, and has conducted ensembles including the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Concerto Köln and Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss. His recordings include Mirrors, released by Berlin Classics and awarded an OPUS KLASSIK.