Ars Musica 2008 Brussels : Scelsi, Ledoux, Martin, Levinas : Hughes Kolp (electric guitar), Musiques Nouvelles, Jean-Paul Dessy ,Théâtre Marni, 15.4. 2008 (HC)

Giacinto Scelsi : Okanagon (1968), Pranam II (1973)

Claude Ledoux :Zap’s Init (2008)

Anne Martin: Les sept moments de l’Arc-en-ciel (2008)

Michaël Levinas: Se briser (2007)


The music of Giacinto Scelsi is generously featured during the 2008 Ars Musica festival in Brussels ; and this concert was, to a certain extent, some sort of prologue to the Scelsi Days held on 16^th April 2008, since it opened and closed with works by Scelsi.

Thus, the concert opened with a performance of Scelsi’s Okanagon for harp, amplified double bass and percussion (one large tam-tam in fact). This short, but quite impressive work is remarkable for the sonic variety that the composer succeeds in drawing from such an improbable trio as well as for the ominous atmosphere thus created. This is partly due to the use of somewhat unusual playing techniques.

Claude Ledoux (born 1960) is one of the most creative and imaginative Belgian composers of his generation, who has developed his own sound world through a long chain of works either for instrumental combinations or for orchestra (he writes magnificently for orchestra). Zap’s Init for electric guitar was composed for and with the guitarist Hughes Kolp, whose first CD I reviewed a few years ago for MusicWeb. The title of the piece, I think, alludes to Frank Zappa, whom as both composer and performer I much admire. The piece might be best described as a brilliantly coloured kaleidoscope exploiting the many possibilities of the instrument, sometimes with sound transformation in real time (or so it sounded to me) or as a somewhat surreal “crazy” Toccata. It certainly was the loudest work in this program, but great fun indeed.

The Belgian composer Anne Martin (born 1969) is a name new to me. I was thus quite interested to hear some of his music. Les sept Moments de l’Arc-en-ciel is scored for a small mixed ensemble consisting of viola, cello, double bass, flute, saxophone, horn, trumpet and marimba. The work opens with instrumental noises (key clicks, soundless breathing and the like) to suggest the chaos before the Creation. The music soon unfolds through a series of contrasted episodes, sometimes evoking some ramshackle Ivesian polyphony. After a few cadenza-like passages for some instruments, o.a. the cello, the music unwinds to reach its calm, appeased conclusion. What comes clearly through here is the sonic imagination and the often refined, subtle instrumental writing on display. Now, I would certainly like to hear more of the music of Anne Martin.

Incidentally, the performances of Ledoux’s work and Martin’s piece were world premières, the latter being a joint commission from Ars Musica and Musiques Nouvelles whereas the former was a commission from Bozar Music.

Michaël Lévinas’ Se Briser for viola, celesta, guitar, harp, marimba, piano and flute received its Belgian première during this concert. The title meaning “to break” (as in “broken chord”) thus alludes to instrumental playing but also sums-up the way the work is conceived. The piece opens with a spiralling ostinato played by the ensemble upon which the flute superposes a repetitive melodic line. The homophonic character of most of the piece is progressively “broken” and the music quietly dissolves into isolated notes, particularly so in the flute part which now plays single, isolated notes in stark contrast with its florid melodic writing in the earlier stages of the piece. The music is certainly repetitive, but by no means minimalist. This often beautiful work may be a tat too long for its own good, but is quite attractive and enjoyable.

The concert ended with another work by Scelsi, Pranam II for ensemble. It is scored for two flutes, violin, viola, cello, bass clarinet and electric organ. This is a really beautiful piece of tranquil music, full of touching sweetness, that was – as far as I am concerned – the gem of this programme.

Hubert Culot

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