Malvazees and bombazees
27 May 2019
Photo: Alfreg Gut
More than 200 years ago, Alexander von Humboldt collected and explored the plant world of South America. In a historical-musical homage to the great naturalist, the three musicians of the ad-hoc ensemble OKULAR will explore the forest of notes and leaves in Humboldt's footsteps at their concert on June 4 in Planten und Blomen.
In his research, Alexander von Humboldt was always concerned with the big picture, with the coherence, with the interaction of forces, precisely with a "layered organic fabric". This fabric also provides an attractive image for composers. In general, the researcher has a very broad view of the "physiognomy of the aging planet". He writes of shapes and colors, of light and fire, of "the collectible and the dusty" - but also of imagination and enjoyment, of the combination of a literary and a purely "scientifical purpose" of research and the desire to "at the same time occupy the imagination and, by increasing knowledge, enrich life with ideas".
Thus inspired, it was a pleasurable challenge to participate in this richly structured fabric in musical form as well.
Ursula Gut
Compositions
Daniel Andres (Biel) «Gewächs» für Klarinette, Viola, Perkussion
Daniel Hess (Zürich) «Plantainment», für Bassklarinette/Klarinette und
Viola/Viola d‘amore
Stefan Werren (Bern) «nacht-schatten-blüten» für Klarinette, Viola, Perkussion
Ursula Gut (Bern) «gefiedert-gefingert-gezähnt» für Bassklarinette,
Viola/Viola d‘amore, Perkussion
Oliver Waespi (Bern) «Erdstriche» für Bassklarinette, Viola, Perkussion
Between the compositions reading from texts by A.v.HumboldtAd-hoc-Ensemble OKULAR
Meinrad Haller, clarinet/bass clarinet (Bern)
Florian Mohr, viola/viola d'amore (Zurich)
Daniel Scheidegger, percussion (Bern)
Jens Nielsen, reading of the Humboldt texts (Zurich)