Sense and Sensibility

Tandeleyen 1, june 17th, 2012

It takes time to take in all aspects of a piece of music. In concerts the piece is played through once, and the audience is left without a chance to perceive all levels of understanding and nuances prepared by the performers through work over long time.

In this concert, we spent one hour presenting 15 minutes of music. Playing the pieces several times, we discussed with the audience the nuances produced by different approaches to the performance, and also by superimposing text to instrumental music. The text was both read aloud, and projected on to the wall.

We had many good comments from the audience, and I would like to thank all of them for their generosity.

The concept will be developed further, and new experiments will take place in the following months. Check the schedule here.

The concert was arranged in collaboration with Foreningen Antikk Musikk and Bymuseet i Bergen.

Ingrid and her clavichord took part in a more informal part of the Bergen International Festival: Music students were invited to play short stunt concerts at unexpected locations.

By “unexpected locations” I was hoping for a bit more creative tour schedule than just a bunch of restaurants: Even if I brought amplification, I very soon became just background music.

Anyway, at some points I was able to get around the schedule and move the locations a little – e.g. to the reception of the SAS hotel at Ole Bulls plass, see photo:

I find it very hard to create a good environment for communicating a musical experience, when the setting is completely unprepared, like these. Even thou I myself had great fun when I didn’t play in restaurants, I must admit that none of the settings really worked very well.

I will give myself another try at this challenge, to see if I will be able to create a better setting for sharing a musical experience, by being more visible, and even more loud: I will be playing at Bryggen and in The Hanseatic Museum, hopefully when there are still tourists there, and nice weather in the coming month.

Photos from Bryggen: The clavichord is given a ride in a most authentic lift.

I presented the project at the Forum for all the research fellows in the programme at Voksenåsen on March the 19th. I managed to bring the clavichord – by trains and buses (and even a ferry!) – I really wanted to play in the presentation. It is so hard to convey what the project is really about without the music! I also made a poster to present my current idea of the project outline.

Rondo Wq65-1

On the 12th of March 2012 we celebrated Emanuel Bach’s birthday, with cake, clavichord and presentation of the new edition of the Collected Works, recently purchased by the Grieg Academy’s library.