Henri Demarquette
à joué à la Galerie Vidal Saint Phalle le vendredi 11 décembre pour l’ouverture de l’exposition Olav Christopher Jenssen
Musical voyage for solo cello
By Henri Demarquette
11th of December 2009
Eric Tanguy( 1968-) : esquisse No 1 (extract of Esquisses (3))
Jean-Sébastien Bach (1685-1750) : Prelude to Suite No 1 In G major BWV 1007
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) : Bordone (extract of Suite No 1 op 72)
Domenico Gabrielli(1651-1690) : Riciercar n°3
Bernd-Alois Zimmermann(1918-1970) : 4 short studies
Jean-Sebastian Bach : Saraband of Suite No 5 in C minor BWV 1011
Domenico Gabrielli : Riciercar n°5
Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840) : Caprice n°13 transcripted from violin
Bis
Olivier Greif(1950-2000) : Solo from Nô
Sometimes while making a draft (Esquisse) a masterpiece is born, this is the case of Eric Tanguy : Such liberty, such temper and such character at the age of 25 ! this piece is a beautiful opening to this concert, like a portal.
What if J.S Bach also wrote drafts (esquisses) ? Theses are, with this famous prelude, the first notes written for a solo cello to what is going to become the bible of all cello players : the famous “Bach Suites”. When we know how much research the writing of the 6 suites took, this prelude, though very simple, embodies beauty and perfection ! But at Bach death in 1750, new times bring new ways ! Music isn’t only written for a solo cello, it’s the rule of an accompanied melody of the classical and romantic era. We will have to wait for the 20th century of which Benjamin Britten is a great representative he was asked by Rostropovich to write three Suites in the same tones as J.S Bach; a sublime tribute.
The “Bordone” or bumble bee in English is a process that has been used forever where an instrument holds a note while the other musicians improvise their tune. Here, beyond the strangeness of the piece, the “tour de force” of this writing is to condense them all in one instrument. We are hypnotized by a D echoing in your head, it’s an obsession we would like to flee and we do … Thanks to the volubility, the liberty, the baroque fantasy of Domenico Gabrielli ! Such modernism ! Are we so shocked when we jump 3 centuries and play the music of Zimmermann ? Is Baroque so far apart from serial expressionism that Zimmermann claims to be from ? Following Anton Webern, he composes Studies (maybe even drafts/ esquisses ?) on the concentration of time, microscopic poetry, minimal tragedy and the rarefaction of sound to the limits of silence. With Bach and his Saraband of the Suite No 5 we have the same idea ; pain of extreme penury to the point of using discordant intervals, tearing, dear to serial music, and he starts with the same notes as Zimmerman’s finale … mysterious communion beyond time…
Contrast !
C minor, tragic C major triumphant !
After Gabrielli the voluble, Gabrielli the mad, the delirious, the unimaginable, making the bow jump all the strings creating unprecedented intervals ; wild virtuosity, improvisation, freejazzy ! after this anything is possible ! the feline cello player is let go and even steals the identity of Paganini the funambulist cello player for this 13th ! Caprice known as “the outburst of laughter” … diabolical ?
Bis
Farewell Olivier, my dear, ten years already and who speaks to me of music? How did you manage to compose a “farewell” whistle you are still amongst us ? How did you manage to be conscientious of your end like Chausson (musician and poet) who died on a bicycle ? How do you managed to touch me so deeply when your music is so simple ?? I miss you !
Henri
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