De/cadences (1987)

er titlen pŒ min 2. bl¾serkvintet, som er skrevet pŒ bestilling af ÒNy Musik i Birker¿dÓ. Stykket er mit f¿rste fors¿g i genren ÒinstrumentalteaterÓ.

Grundlaget for v¾rket er nogle solokadencer for hvert af de fem instrumenter. PŒ skift tr¾der de enkelte musikere ud af ensemblet for at pr¾sentere sig selv og deres egen musik - ofte en musik, der stŒr i kontrast til den musik de fŒr lov til at optr¾de med i gruppen.

I kraft af disse solooptr¾dener fŒr musikerne mulighed for at Òrealisere sig selvÓ, men som stykket skrider frem, sker denne individuelle udvikling mere og mere pŒ bekostning af lysten og evnen til at indgŒ i den kollektive sammenh¾ng. Mod slutningen af stykket er de fem musikere faktisk helt isolerede - uden nogen kontakt med hinanden.

Med andre ord: en forceret afbildning af forholdet (konflikten?) mellem solist og ensemble, mellem behovet for selvudfoldelse og f¾llesskabets krav, - ja, mŒske endda mellem individ og samfund!

 

 

 

De/cadences is my 2nd wind quintet, commissioned in 1987 by Ny Musik i Birker¿d. The piece was my first work in the genre Ôinstrumental theatreÕ.

The quintet is based on a series of solo cadenzas for each of the five instruments. The individual members of the ensemble, in turn, step out of the group to present themselves and their own music – often music that is in strong contrast to what they are allowed to play in the ensemble.

Due to these solo performances, the musicians get an opportunity to Ôrealize themselvesÕ. But as the piece proceeds this individual development takes place more and more at the cost of the will and the ability to participate in the collective. By the end of the piece all the five musicians are in fact totally isolated – left alone with fragments of their own music and no contact at all with each other.

In other words: a radical picture of the relationship (conflict?)  between soloist and ensemble, between the need for self development and the demands of the community – perhaps even between individual and society?