(1990, 1998) sextet for tiptar with music theatre
Electro-acoustic sextet from Daniel Schell. Duration: about one hour. With acting by the musicians, scénettes and reading of texts by A.David-Néel, Max Stirner, E.Reclus.
Ensemble Karo, direction Ken Ichi Nakagawa, with Wolfgang Daiss (tap-guitar), Judit Gudor (clarinet), Marie-Paule Verlinden (French Horn), François Deppe (cello), Jean-Luc Plouvier (synthesiser), Pierre Narcisse (tabla, percussion).
A short description follows.
Orchestration
“L’Enfoui fuit” – approximative translation ‘The burried escapes’ – is a concerto for sextett, involving an important part and soloing for the tiptar.
Argument
L’Enfoui involves also some theatrality and movements by the musicians. For instance, a marble gliding on the strings of the tiptar produces not only a wonderfull sound, but also a movement which will be imitated by the other musicians under various forms. ‘L’enfoui’ is a humoristic view of the ‘devil’ . Whatever our deeds, we produce only causes and effects, a bit like the karma in the buddhism.
The music produces this effect by oscillations and trips around some stable characteristic elements such as natural events, melodies, bird songs, chords or even fixed points in a rhythmic cycle.
The musicians have also to improvise, read and perform acting.
Alexandra David-Néel
The texts and ideas come from the famous orientalist and philosopher Alexandra David-Néel who lived in Brussels around 1880. Her father, was a political refugee and Brussels was at the time a harbour for many “anarchists” exilated from their country. reading include Karl Marx, Elysée Reclus and also the extraordinary ‘The unique and his property by Max Stirner.
Summary
L’enfoui 01-“Quelques expériences naturelles”
The movement of balance, initiated by the marbles on the tiptar, will generate balance and glissandi for all the other musicians.
After a short trip, the piece ends up with a joyfull theme in ‘carreau’, a sort of cristalline jewel.
L’enfoui 02 Au monde enveloppé dans les ténèbres de l’ignorance
“Au monde enveloppé dans les ténèbres de l’ignorance, je donnerai le rayon de la meilleures science” (‘Lalita vistara’ quoted by A. David-Néel in La Lampe de Sagesse. )
This piece is first performed as a composition around a rhythmic cycle. Later on it will serve as a vehicle for a series of individual improvisation along some established rules. There are also tabla variations and group execution of claps and onmatopoeia singing.
L’enfoui 3 “Viens c’est l’heure, sors de ta maison, réfléchis”
A first part, “Le repos au delà de la joie”, is symphonic and expresses the sunrise. The second uses a simple popular theme where the clarinet can danse.
L’enfoui 4 – Le réveil de l’habitant peint
The theme of this piece is the song of a blackbird of Suxy in the Belgian Ardennes. The composer found similarities with the themes of Ornette Coleman and orchestrated accordingly.
L’enfoui 5 – L’enjoué joué
The piece is about good resolutions and their future. One of them ‘I shall not cheat my partner anymore’ can bring dramatic consequences, especially when ‘l’enjoué’ is himself cheated. A contrapunctic treatment of several themes gives a picture of these errances. However, there is a funny ending to all stories, and so to the piece.
L’enfoui 6 “La joie d’être sauf après le nauffrage”
On a warm summer night, ‘L’enfoui’ finds his wife’ in the arms of a concurrent. A succession of quiet romantic passages tiptar solo involving glissandi- with violent explosions of the ensemble.
L’enfoui 07 L’enchaînement infini
“Des causes et effets. Karma vipaaka” A duet tiptar-clarinett ends up in a majestuous end.
L’enfoui 08 Bah! Oublions tout ça!
‘Let’s forget everything’ The musicians leave the room as a joyfull marching band.
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Historique
“L’Enfoui fuit” had a first version in 1990. It was created in the Aeronef of Lille (command of Jean-Pascal Reux), and in Hildesheim (Uwe Kalwar) in presence of Emmett Chapman. Musicians: Dirk Descheemaeker (clar), Jan Kuijken (cello) Patrick Verstraete (cor), Jean-Luc Plouvier (synthé), Daniel Schell (tiptare), Pierre Narcisse (percussions)
The piece was recomposed in 1998 and presented in the Botanique , Brussels.
” L’Enfoui fuit” 1998 was made possible by a command from Mr & Mrs Werner Wobbe, by the Botanique, and by a grant from the Communauté Française de Belgique.
Score