Asia Ahmetjanova (*1992)
New work for orchestra (2023)
Commissioned by the Basel Sinfonietta
Oscar Bianchi (*1975)
6 dB Concerto for six double basses and orchestra (2021)
Ashley Fury (*1982)
Bound to the Bow for Orchestra and Electronics (2016)
LUKAS BURRI / PIERRE DEKKER / PHILIPPE DREGER / MARIONA MATEU CARLES / SIMON WALLINGER / BENEDICT ZIERVOGEL, DOUBLE BASS
BALDUR BRÖNNIMANN, DIRECTOR
Laurent Zufferey, Director
The Basel Sinfonietta presents itself at the adventurous Archipel Festival in Geneva with a program in which the double basses of the orchestra move from the depths of the orchestra to the foreground, bows swing over the strings like birds over water – and the playing of the musicians becomes a choreographic experience.
A concerto for six double basses is something entirely new. The Italian-Swiss composer Oscar Bianchi drew inspiration for it from unorthodox playing techniques, which he learned from the bass section of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. "6 db" refers not only to six double basses, but also to six decibels (dB), the threshold between silence and perceptible sound.
An image in the ear of the American composer Ashley Fure gave the impetus to her work “Bound to the Bow”, which was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 and features an albatross tied to the bow of the boat of the old sailor from Samuel Taylor Colerdige’s famous ballad.
In her work commissioned by the Basel Sinfonietta, the young Latvian composer Asia Ahmetjanova brings together elements of extensive sound engineering research in a grand ritual that develops into a humanistic prayer.
With the kind support of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
Program subject to change
