Date / Place I

04 November 2023 Gare du Nord, Basel

Date / Place II

05 November 2023 Gare du Nord, Basel

Series

Phoenix

Title

Swissness?

Program

Erik Oña (1961–2019) “Alles Nahe werde fern” for 8 instruments (2001) – 7’ Sebastian Meyer (*1994) “inmitten” in memoriam Erik Oña for ensemble and electronics (2023, WP, commission EPhB) – 15’ André Meier (*1974) “Threads” for trumpet and ensemble (2020/rev. 2023, WP, commission EPhB) – 11’ Jean-Jacques Dünki (*1948) “Concertino” for cello and 8 instruments (2022/23, WP, commission EPhB) – 17’

Musicians

Pierre Strauch
cello solo
Nenad Marković
trumpet solo
Jürg Henneberger
conductor
Christoph Bösch
flute, alto flute, bass flute
Antje Thierbach
oboe, English horn
Toshiko Sakakibara
clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet
Raphael Camenisch
alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
Donatien Bachmann
bassoon
Nenad Marković
trumpet
Michael Büttler
trombone, bass trumpet
Daniel Stalder
percussion
Kirill Zvegintsov
piano
Friedemann Treiber
violin
David Sontòn Caflisch
violin
Petra Ackermann
viola
Martin Jaggi
cello
Aleksander Gabryś
double bass

Program description

Is there a “Swissness” in terms of composing? Instead of an answer to this question, we confront the audience with three new works by Swiss composers from three generations, flanked by a work by our friend Erik Oña, who died much too early.

The youngest – Sebastian Meyer – is, like his teacher Erik Oña, in constant search of the best sound with reduced material, be it in terms of choice of instruments or compositional means.

Trumpet player, composer and improviser André Meier – also a former composition student of Erik Oña – deals in his compositional work mainly with algorithmic or machine processes, sonifications, modular and open forms.

The pianist and composer Jean-Jacques Dünki is also active as a musicologist, dealing with both historical performance practice (fortepiano and clavichord) and the composers of the New Viennese School and contemporary music. As a composer he is largely self-taught. He is writing a “Concertino” for cello and ensemble for the French cellist Pierre Strauch and us.