The Six Études by French composer Gilles Silvestrini are probably the most frequently played pieces for oboe that were written in the last thirty years – this is no surprise as they were pushing the boundaries, putting new demands both in instrumental technique and musical expression. I met the composer in Paris to better understand his approach to composing and to talk about his music, in particular the Études Pittoresques composed in 2013. → continue reading “G Silvestrini: Dream Visions”
Tag: contemporary
Duduk: Trauma and Dream
“Who is nowadays still talking about the extermination of the Armenians?” Not until June 2016 did the German Bundestag (Federal Parliament) categorise the massacres of Armenians, which were committed by the former Ottoman Empire, as a genocide – roughly one hundred years later. In order to express the emotional turmoil of the Armenian people and the their will to survive, Erkoreka transfers the tension between melody and drone to a single solo instrument. → continue reading “Duduk: Trauma and Dream”
Toshio Hosokawa: This World and the Beyond
“A ritual is meant to allow Claudia to see the soul of her dead child, for she cannot set him free. However, the image disintegrates in her arms. “Let us go home, each to our own home,” she says. To Toshio Hosokawa, nature is reflected in audible symbolic forms. Thus, each tone, each silence holds spiritual evidence.” → continue reading “Toshio Hosokawa: This World and the Beyond”