Ode aan Edith

Fragment from the aria of the local priest, Peiper, from Brodeck (2021/2023), opera after "Le rapport de Brodeck" by Philippe Claudel.

Thomas Blondelle (tenor)
Orchestra of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen conducted by Marit Strindlund
Recorded live at Opera Antwerp, 20/02/2024

Recording by VRT (Klara)

Text:

Mais il n’y a qu’un principe que je n’ai pas renié.
C’est celui du secret.
Le secret de la confession.

Je sais tout, Brodeck. Tout.
Et ce que ce « Tout » veut dire tu ne peux pas te l’imaginer...

Les hommes sont bizarres:
sans se poser de questions, ils commettent le pire puis ils viennent me voir
car il ne peuvent plus vivre avec le souvenir.
Je suis l’égout, Brodeck.
Dans mon cerveau, ils déversent toutes leurs sanies, toutes leurs ordures.
Puis repartent tout neufs et bien propres.
C’est parce qu'ils ont peur, Brodeck
qu’ils tolèrent mes sermons incohérents. C’est parce qu’ils ont peur de moi,
qu’ils tolèrent mes messes trouées de délires.

Vois-tu ce vin?
Avant la guerre, je ne buvais que de l’eau. et aujourd’hui ce vin est mon seul ami.
La guerre...
Un jour il m’a rendu visite.
Ca ne pouvait se terminer que comme cela, Brodeck.
L’Anderer était un miroir:
sans prononcer le moindre mot, il renvoyait à chacun son image.
Mais un miroir, Brodeck, ne peut que se briser!

English translation:

But there is only one principle that I have not renounced. 
It is that of secrecy. 
The secret of confession. 

I know everything, Brodeck. 
Everything. 
And what this 'Everything' means, you cannot imagine...

Men are strange: without asking questions, they commit the worst, and then they come to see me because they can no longer live with the memory. 
I am the sewer, Brodeck. In my mind, they pour all their filth, all their garbage. 
Then they leave, all fresh and clean again. 
It's because they are afraid, Brodeck, that they tolerate my incoherent sermons. 
It's because they are afraid of me that they tolerate my masses full of delusions.

Do you see this wine? 
Before the war, I only drank water. And today, this wine is my only friend. 
The war... 
One day, it visited me. It could only end like this, Brodeck. The Anderer was a mirror: without uttering a single word, he reflected each one's image. 
But a mirror, Brodeck, can only shatter!

Photo: Annemie Augustijns (OBV)

"Je sais Tout, Brodeck." Fragment from Brodeck (2021/2023) - T. Blondelle, M. Strindlund

Recording @ Bozar, Brussels - Belgian Music Days 
15th of February '24
Played by Ictus ensemble.:
Tom Pauwels : guitar
Ruben Orio : percussion

HOKETUS for electric guitar and percussion

performance by
Wim Pelgrims (percussion solo)
Kevin Hendrickx (conductor)
Continuo, alumni- en personeelsorkest Ugent

recording by Michaël Penson (Gent) - 2024-03-29

Se/Fe - Wim Pelgrims, Continuo, Kevin Hendrickx

L'ombre que tu devins for viola da gamba and orchestra
by soloist Dirk Moelants and Continuo (cond. Kevin Hendrickx)

02/06/2024, Christus Koningkerk, Gent (BE).

L'ombre que tu devins for viola da gamba and orchestra

Memling Echo (2024) for 11 musicians

Commissioned by Stad Brugge  -  Musea Brugge
Coproduction by Concertgebouw Brugge

The piece will be part of "Closer to Memling" (Musea Brugge) and will be played at the attic floor of the “Museum Sint-Janshospitaal” for 5 upcoming years. (2024-2029)

Opening: 10/12/2024

Recorded in July 2024 by:

Lore Binon (voice)
Lieselot De Wilde (voice)
Spectra Ensemble 
(Tille Van Gastel, bass flute; Nico Couck, guitar; Anne Zeuwts, harp; Bjorn Denys, percussion; Bram Boussier, viola; Francis Mourey, violoncello) 
ClubMédieval 
(Katelijne Lanneau, tenor recorder; Michael Grébil; plectrum lute; Thomas Baeté, viola d’arco)

Conductor: Filip Rathé
Sound Engineer: Brecht Beuselinck

Memling Echo (11 musicians)

Auftragswerk des Festivals "Distat Terra"

Vor kurzer Zeit erst habe ich die Erzählungen und Gedichte von Jorge Luis Borges für mich entdeckt und ich war sofort von der zeitlosen fantastischen Atmosphäre zwischen Wirklichkeit und Fiktion gefangen. Nicht umsonst wird Borges als Mitbegründer des magischen Realismus bezeichnet. 
Der Auftrag für eine Miniatur vom Festival Distat Terra erschien mir geradezu ideal um eine Hommage an Jorge Luis Borges zu schreiben, denn auch er verwendete zeitlebens für seine Werke kurze Formen. So ist diese Miniatur ein Versuch, den magischen Realismus - eine Strömung, die vor allem in der Malerei und der Literatur vertreten ist - auch in Klang umzusetzen.

UA: 16.12.2022 -  Heinz-Peter Linshalm & Teresa Doblinger-bass clarinet, Jacobo Hernández-violin, Daniel Moser-viola, Leo Morello-violoncello; Distat Terra Festival/Argentinien

LA ROSA PROFUNDA (2022) for 2 bass clarinets and string trio

Titan for cello and electronics was commissioned by Concertgebouw Brugge, and written for Arne Deforce.
The first part of Titan was composed in 2019, and was premiered in February 2020. The second part followed five years later.
Titan was written in close collaboration with cellist Arne Deforce, who gave the first performance of the complete version in March 2024 at Concertgebouw Brugge.
The electronic part was developed in collaboration with Gilles Doneux & Lucas Lebrun (Centre Henri Pousseur)

Credits:
Arne Deforce - violoncello
Lucas Lebrun (Centre Henri Pousseur) & Daan Janssens (electronics)
Recorded live at Concertgebouw Brugge by Yannick Willox (Acoustic Recording Service)

(...to be listened to with good speakers or headphones...)

Titan for cello and electronics (2024)- Excerpt - Arne Deforce & CHP live at Concertgebouw Brugge

Cinq jours de Paul Klee
pour soprano, alto et harpe 
Shigeko Hata et l'Instant donné (Elsa Balas et Ester Davoust)
Commande de Radio France

Memling Echo (11 musicians)

Frederik Neyrinck

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