dilluns, 23 de gener del 2017

Samuel Beckett & Morton Feldman: Words & Music

27, 28 i 29 de gener de 2017
Auditori - Sala 3 Tete Montuliu

20:00 hores
15 € - 18 €. Compra aquí les entrades




WORDS, Samuel Beckett
Nao Albet, direcció escena

Nao Albet i Jordi Figueras, interpretació
Anna Hierro, dansa
Grup instrumental bcn216
Max Glaenzel, escenografia
Sílvia Delagneau, vestuari
August Viladomat, il·luminació 

MUSIC, Morton Feldman
bcn216

David Albet i Isabel Gualda, flautes
Elena Rey, violí
Lara Fernando, viola
Erica Wise, violoncel
Iván Herranz, vibràfon
David Casanova, piano





Al 1961 Samuel Beckett va escriure Words & Music per a la radio BBC, una obra de teatre amb dos personatges « words » i « music ». 20 anys més tard, Beckett va suggerir que Morton Feldman compongués la música, i el resultat es va poder representar completament al 1987 (any de la mort de Feldman). 

Nao Albet aborda la direcció escènica i interpretarà a "Words" descobrint l’univers de Samuel Beckett i el grup instrumental bcn216 serà "Music", la melodia de Feldman. La posada en escena compta amb els actors nao Albet i Jordi Figueras, la ballarina Anna Hierro i el grup instrumental bcn216.


Words and Music

A Play by SAMUEL BECKETT (1962)


MUSIC: Small orchestra softly tuning up. 
WORDS: Please! (Tuning. Louder.) Please! (Tuning dies away.) How much longer cooped up here, in the dark? (With loathing.) With you! (Pause.) Theme ... (Pause.) Theme... sloth. (Pause. Rattled off, low.) Sloth is of all the passions the most powerful passion and indeed no passion is more powerful than the passion of sloth, this is the mode in which the mind is most affected and indeed-(Burst of tuning. Loud, imploring.) Please! (Tuning dies away. As before.) The mode in which the mind is most affected and indeed in no mode is the mind more affected than in this, by passion we are to understand a movement of the soul pursuing or fleeing real or imagined, pleasure or pain, pleasure or pain, real or imagined pleasure or pain, of all these movements and who can number them of all these movements and they are legion sloth is the most urgent and indeed by no movement is the soul more urged than by this by this by this to and from by no movement the soul more urged than by this to and-(Pause.) From. (Pause.) Listen! (Distant sound of rapidly shuffling carpet slippers.) At last! (Shuffling louder. Burst of tuning.) Hsst!

Tuning dies away. Shuffling louder. Silence.

CROAK: Joe.
WORDS: (humble). My Lord.
CROAK: Bob.
MUSIC: Humble muted adsum.
CROAK: My comforts! Be friends! (Pause.) Bob.
MUSIC: As before.
CROAK: Joe.
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Be friends! (Pause.) I am late, forgive. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) On the stairs. (Pause.) Forgive.(Pause.) Joe.
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Bob.
MUSIC: As before.
CROAK: Forgive. (Pause.) In the tower. (Pause.) The face. (Long pause.) Theme tonight ... (Pause.) Theme tonight... love. (Pause.) Love. (Pause.) My club. (Pause.) Joe.
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Love. (Pause. Thump of club on ground.) Love!
WORDS: (orotund). Love is of all the passions the most powerful passion and indeed no passion is more powerful than the passion of love. (Clears throat.) This is the mode in which the mind is most strongly affected and indeed in no mode is the mind more strongly affected than in this.

Pause.

CROAK: (Rending sigh. Thump of club.)
WORDS: (as before). By passion we are to understand a movement of the mind pursuing or fleeing real or imagined pleasure or pain. (Clears throat.) Of all-
CROAK: (anguished). Oh!
WORDS: (as before). Of all these movements then and who can number them and they are legion sloth is the... LOVE is the most urgent and indeed by no manner of movement is the soul more urged than by this, to and -

Violent thump of club.



Words and Music
Page 2

CROAK: Bob.
WORDS: From.

Violent thump of club.

CROAK: Bob!
MUSIC: As before.
CROAK- Love!
MUSIC: Rap of baton on stand. Soft music worthy of foregoing, great expression, with audible groans and protestations- "No!" "Please etc.-from WORDS. Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Thump of club.) Louder!
MUSIC: Loud rap of baton and as before fortissimo, all expression gone, drowning WORDS' protestations.

Pause.

CROAK: My comforts. (Pause.) Joe sweet.
WORDS: (as before). Arise then and go now the manifest unanswerable-
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: ... to wit this love what is this love that more than all the cursed deadly or any other of its great movers so moves the soul and soul what is this soul that more than by any of its great movers is by love so moved? (Clears throat. Prosaic.) Love of woman, I mean, if that is what my Lord means.
CROAK: Alas!
WORDS: What? (Pause. Very rhetorical.) Is love the word? (Pause. Do.) Is soul the word? (Pause. Do.) Do we mean love, when we say love? (Pause. Do.) Soul, when we say soul?

Pause.

CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Pause.) Bob dear.
WORDS: Do we? (With sudden gravity.) Or don't we?
CROAK: (imploring). Bob!
MUSIC: Rap of baton. Love and soul music, with just audible protestations-"No!" "Please" "Peace" etc.-from WORDS. Pause.
CROAK: (anguished). Oh! (Pause.) My balms! (Pause.) Joe.
WORDS: (humble). My Lord.
CROAK: Bob.
MUSIC: Adsum as before.
CROAK: My balms! (Pause.) Age. (Pause.) Joe. (Pause. Thump of club.) Joe!
WORDS: (as before). My Lord.
CROAK: Age!

Pause.

WORDS: (faltering). Age is ... age is when ... old age I mean... if that is what my Lord means ... is when ... if you're a man were a man ... huddled ... nodding ... the ingle waiting for-

Violent thump of club.

CROAK: Bob. (Pause.) Age. (Pause. Violent thump of club.) Age! 
MUSIC: Rap of baton. Age music, soon interrupted by violent thump.
CROAK: Together. (Pause. Thump.) Together! (Pause. Violent thump.) Together, dogs!
MUSIC: Long la.
WORDS: (imploring). No!

Violent thump.

CROAKS: Dogs!
MUSIC: La.
WORDS: (trying to sing). Age is when ... to a man...
MUSIC: Improvement of above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Age is when to a man . . .
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Huddled o'er . . . the ingle (Pause. Violent thump. Trying to sing.) Waiting for the hag to put the ... pan ... in the bed...
MUSIC: Improvement of above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Waiting for the hag to put the pan in the bed...
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). And bring the ... arrowroot (Pause. Violent thump. As before.) And bring the toddy.

Pause. Tremendous thump.

CROAK: Dogs!
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). She comes in the ashes ... (Imploring.) No!
MUSIC: Repeats suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). She comes in the ashes who loved could not be ... won or...

Pause.

MUSIC: Repeats end of previous suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Or won not loved ... (wearily)… or some other trouble ... (Pause. Trying to sing.) Comes in the ashes like in that old-
MUSIC: Interrupts with improvement of this, and brief suggestion.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). Comes in the ashes like in that old light ... her face ... in the ashes . . .

Pause.

CROAK: Groans.
MUSIC: Suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this). That old moonlight ... on the earth... again.

Pause.

MUSIC: Further brief suggestion.

Silence.

CROAK: Groans.
MUSIC: Plays air through alone, then invites WORDS with opening, pause, invites again and finally accompanies WORDS very softly
WORDS: (trying to sing, softly).

Age is when to a man
Huddled o'er the ingle
Shivering for the hag
To put the pan in the bed
And bring the toddy
She comes in the ashes
Who loved could not be won
Or won not loved
Or some other trouble
Comes in the ashes
Like in that old light
The face in the ashes
That old starlight
On the earth again.

Long pause.

CROAK: (murmur). The face. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) The face. (Pause.) The face.
MUSIC: Rap of baton and warmly sentimental, about one minute.

Pause.

CROAK: The face.
WORDS: (cold). Seen from above in that radiance so cold and faint...

Pause.

MUSIC: Warm suggestion from above for above.
WORDS: (disregarding, cold). Seen from above at such close quarters in that radiance so cold and faint with eyes so dimmed by . . . what had passed, its quite . . . piercing beauty is a little...

Pause.

MUSIC: Renews timidly previous suggestion.
WORDS: (interrupting, violently). Peace!
CROAK: My comforts! Be friends!

Pause.



Words and Music
Page 3

WORDS: ... blunted. Some moments later however, such are the powers of recuperation at this age, the head is drawn back to a distance of two or three feet, the eyes widen to a stare and begin to feast again. (Pause.) What then is seen would have been better seen in the light of day, that is incontestable. But how often has it not, in recent months, how often, at all hours, under all angles, in cloud and shine, been seen, I mean. And there is, is there not, in that clarity of silver ... that clarity of silver ... is there not ... my Lord ... (Pause.) Now and then the rye, swayed by a light wind, casts and withdraws its shadow.

Pause.

CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: Leaving aside the features or lineaments proper, matchless severally and in their ordonnance-
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: -flare of the black disordered hair as though spread wide on water, the brows knitted in a groove suggesting pain but simply concentration more likely all things considered on some consummate inner process, the eyes of course closed in keeping with this, the lashes . . . (pause) . . . the nose ... (pause) ... nothing, a little pinched perhaps, the lips...
CROAK: (anguished). Lily!
WORDS: ... tight, a gleam of tooth biting on the under, no coral, no swell, whereas normally...
CROAK: Groans.
WORDS: ... the whole so blanched and still that were it not for the great white rise and fall of the breasts, spreading as they mount and then subsiding to their natural ... aperture-
MUSIC: Irrepressible burst of spreading and subsiding music with vain protestations-"Peace!" "No!" "Please!" etc.-from WORDS. Triumph and conclusion.

Pause.

WORDS: (gently expostulatory). My Lord! (Pause. Faint thump of club.) I resume, so wan and still and so ravished away that it seems no more of the earth than Mira in the Whale, at her tenth and greatest magnitude on this particular night shining coldly down-as we say, looking up. (Pause.) Some moments later however, such are the powers-
CROAK: (anguished). No!
WORDS: -the brows uncloud, the lips part and the eyes ... (pause) . . . the brows uncloud, the nostrils dilate, the lips part and the eyes ... (pause) ... a little colour comes back into the cheeks and the eyes (reverently) ... open. (Pause.) Then down a little way (Pause. Change to poetic tone. Low.)
Then down a little way
Through the trash
To where ... towards where...

Pause.

MUSIC: Discreet suggestion for above.
WORDS: (trying to sing this).
Then down a little way
Through the trash
Towards where...

Pause.

MUSIC: Discreet suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this).
All dark no begging
No giving no words
No sense no need...

Pause.

MUSIC: More confident suggestion for following.
WORDS: (trying to sing this).
Through the scum
Down a little way
To where one glimpse
Of that wellhead.

Pause.

MUSIC: Invites with opening, pause, invites again and finally accompanies WORDS very softly.
WORDS: (trying to sing, softly).
Then down a little way
Through the trash
Towards where
All dark no begging
No giving no words
No sense no need
Through the scum
Down a little way
To whence one glimpse
Of that wellhead.
(Pause. Shocked.) My Lord! (Sound of club let fall. As before.) My Lord! (Shuffling slippers, with halts. They die away. Long pause.) Bob. (Pause.) Bob!
MUSIC: Brief rude retort.
WORDS: Music. (Imploring.) Music!

Pause.

MUSIC: Rap of baton and statement with elements already used or wellhead alone.

Pause.

WORDS: Again. (Pause. Imploring.) Again!
MUSIC: As before or only very slightly varied.

Pause.

WORDS: (Deep sigh.)


END







dimecres, 4 de gener del 2017

THERMAL

Dijous 12 de gener de 2017
CCCB

20:30 hores
7 €. Compra aquí les entrades




Andy Moor, guitarra elèctrica
Thomas Lehn, sintetitzador analògic
John Butcher, saxos amplificats


L’escocès Andy Moor, guitarrista de la banda punk holandesa The Ex; l’alemany Thomas Lehn, músic polifacètic format com a pianista clàssic i contemporani, i l’anglès John Butcher, saxofonista, compositor i improvisador, formen el trio Thermal. Tres forces de la música improvisada europea en una sessió única per a saxos amplificats, guitarra elèctrica i sintetitzador analògic.




Notes al programa

per Borja Duñó Aixerch


Quan intentem capturar la música amb paraules, correm el perill de trair-la. Podem limitar-nos a aportar el context necessari, fins i tot atrevir-nos a descriure-la amb més o menys encert, qui sap si fins i tot valorar-la no sabem ben bé des de quina autoritat malgrat tot subjectiva, però el més segur és que se'ns escoli entre els dits com si intentéssim atrapar amb les mans el llot del fons del riu. Hi ha músiques que estan escrites, que es poden llistar en un repertori i per les quals es pot fer l'esforç de veure en quin període de la trajectòria del seu compositor han estat creades i d'aquí extreure'n conclusions pertinents i interessants. Podem posar l'èmfasi en el director, en els arranjaments, en els intèrprets, en com es tornen a llegir les partitures passats uns segles... Cada música és diferent, però n'hi ha, com la clàssica, el pop o el jazz, que obeeixen a unes regles clares que ens poden servir de pauta més o menys segura. En aquests casos, tenim una xarxa de seguretat.

No passa el mateix amb les músiques improvisades, que se solen caracteritzar, precisament, per operar sense xarxa de seguretat. És música de risc, extrema, com el surf, l'ala delta o l'escalada. No pots demanar a músics com Andy Moor, Thomas Lehn o John Butcher que posin per escrit les seves intencions. Fan música de la mateixa manera que un esquiador de descens baixa per la neu a tota velocitat. Han de prendre decisions vitals en mil·lèssimes de segon, sobre la marxa, basant-ho tot en la intuïció i en l'immens bagatge tècnic i l'estudi de l'instrument que han anat acumulant al llarg dels anys. Intuïció i recursos, aquestes són les portes que menen al misteri de músiques lliures com la de John Butcher / Andy Moor / Thomas Lehn. El trio compta amb un disc, Thermal, enregistrat a Amsterdam l'any 2001 i publicat al 2003 per Unsounds, el segell dedicat a la composició contemporània, la música experimental, la improvisació i l'art sonor fundat per Moor, juntament amb el compositor i artista sonor Yannis Kyriakides i la dissenyadora i artista visual Isabelle Vigier.


 
En la música de Thermal, no hi ha gairebé rastre de The Ex, el grup de punk heterodox holandès en què milita el guitarrista londinenc Andy Moor des de 1990. Si bé The Ex s'ha caracteritzat per una trajectòria extraordinàriament inquieta i ha barrejat la fúria del rock amb el free jazz o la música etíop, aquí Moor explota el seu vessant més experimental, més en consonància amb altres treballs realitzats juntament amb el saxofonista John Butcher. El tenor i soprano de Brighton és doctor en física teòrica i és conegut per treballar amb les ressonàncies i la unicitat de l'espai on es produeix cada performance, així com per explorar les anomenades tècniques esteses, que consisteixen a extreure de l'instrument sons no convencionals. El pianista alemany Thomas Lehn, el tercer en discòrdia, aporta el sintetitzador analògic tocat en temps real, un instrument capaç d'extreure qualsevol so imaginable i especialment apropiat per a l'abstracció. En mans de Lehn, bregat també en els camps de la clàssica, la contemporània i el jazz, el sintetitzador es comporta més com un instrument acústic que no pas electrònic.

Un cop aportat el context necessari, podem mirar d'esbrinar com sona Thermal sense por de trair la seva essència? En primer lloc caldrà dir que es tracta de música en directe, és a dir, música que es crea en el moment i que per tant s'ha de viure en el precís moment en què està succeint. No serveix de gaire explicar quines són les seves crepitacions, les seves ressonàncies, la seva aparença material, els seus moments violents, irats o percussius, així com els seus paisatges més abstractes i misteriosos. Quan titulen les seves peces amb noms com Once gravity strikes for real, Miss universal happiness o Cat funeral ens donen pistes, o no, de per on discorre la seva imaginació sonora, tot i que cal entendre sempre les paraules en la seva dimensió més poètica i abstracta. Al final, del que es tracta, és d'entrar en un nou indret sonor, on espai i temps són les simples coordenades perquè la música pugui existir, però on cal deixar en suspensió qualsevol altre apriorisme. Fins i tot la raó. Si la música és una alternança de repeticions i variacions, el que fan Moor, Butcher i Lehn és una combinació molt més sofisticada que opera en una altra dimensió, amb unes regles molt més elàstiques i uns patrons més subtils, però amb un efecte sobre l'oient molt més intens i radical.