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Joël Bons E | P Music1 air#3in C contextair#4 air#0 air#1 air#2 Joël Bons

Invitation / 3 The international world is increasingly shaped by music from diverse cultures. However, almost no structural research has been performed into the impact this has, or might have in the future, on musicians in training. air#3 That the distinction between composition and performance differs according to culture is also an area of interest.

The Conservatory has invited Joël Bons to investi- gate the opportunities arising from the combination of differ- ent music cultures, for both composition and performance prac- tice. Particular attention will be given to bringing these two practices closer to one another.

Where possible he will, in response to his findings, advise the Board on the selection of guest tutors and other teaching air#4 staff, the development and reform of the curriculum, and the programming of the Composition Department.

In addition, the Amsterdam Conservatory has asked Joël Bons to investigate the feasibility of a Centre of Excellence at the Conservatory devoted to various aspects of non-Western music, namely knowledge, research, composition and performance. air#0 air#1 From the letter of appointment air#2 Joël Bons

Joël Bons studied and composition at the Sweelinck Conservatory in 4 5 Amsterdam. After completion of his composition studies, he attended summer Winds courses by Franco Donatoni in Siena and the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. In 1982 he resumed his composition studies, with Brian Ferneyhough in Freiburg. and Strings At the beginning of the 1980s, Joël Bons co-founded the Nieuw Ensemble, a leading 3 international ensemble for contemporary music that is pioneering in its programming (02–2005) / and innovative in its repertoire. As artistic leader, Joël Bons is still responsible for this programming. In 1988 he travelled in China, where he got to know a generation of One of my aims will be to arouse your interest in non-European musi- young that would later cause a furore as part of the Nieuw Ensemble. cal cultures and find ways to broaden our horizon and enrich our vocabulary. Many renowned musicians have shown us that encounters Joël Bons initiated thematic festivals such as Complexity, Rules and Play, with other cultures can be very fruitful. In my opinion it is fundamen- Improvisations, the multicultural Tokkel Festival, and The Refined Ear. tally important in today’s multicultural society to open up to the world, also in music education. I am convinced that in the years ahead, more In 2002, Bons made study trips to the and Central Asia. That same year and more serious musicians from all over the world will meet and col- he founded the Atlas Ensemble. laborate. The Amsterdam Conservatory (CvA) could develop into a centre for those interested in this subject, and so become the place to be, the place ‘where it’s all happening’. 4

To make a start I would like to invite you to participate in a special project. During the first ten days of February 2005 a number of wonderful Asian musicians will be in Amsterdam for the project Atlas & Consorten (Atlas & Associates). Together with the musicians of the Nieuw Ensemble and conductor Ed Spanjaard, they will rehearse and perform four brand new works written for a combination of Western and non- Western instruments. In addition, the Korean, Chinese, Uzbek and Turkish virtuosi will present their musical traditions at two concerts in the Tropentheater.

To stimulate your interest and provoke ideas, we have organised three presentations especially for you: Asian winds, Asian strings and a composers’ forum about the newly0 composed pieces.

This first encounter is intended to provide you with the opportunity to get acquaint- ed with some of the distant family members of our own instruments and to exchange ideas and experiences with the musicians, and perhaps even make music together. The topics will include comparison of Eastern and Western attitudes to timbre, sound quality, vibrato/glissando, articulation, tuning, timing and concentration. On 10 February the four composers will present their new works and report on the challenge of writing for non-Western instruments. 1 2 e-mail response

From: j th loevendie 6 7 Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 19:53:52 -0800 To: Joël Instruments / Subject: asianinstr. Beste Joël. >> De demonstratie vanmmorgen was verbijsterend. Voor het eerst VOELDE ik, hoewel ik het wel altijd BEGREEP, wat je passie is met families van instrumenten van verschillende culturen. Zelfs in het Atlas Ensemble kwam dat er niet zo goed uit. Als je als componist die dubbelrietinstr. na elkaar hebt geho- ord, kan ik me niet voorstellen dat iemand nog zin heeft om een saxofoon- of klarinetkwartet te schrijven. Bij elk nieuw instrument dacht ik, ja, dit is de mooiste. Toen kwam de , zo prachtig door Raph. bespeeld, hoewel de melodie mij wat minder bekoorde. En ik vond dat dit het summum was, zo dicht bij de menselijke stem. Toen daarna dat rare instrument- je van Abdulhomid kwam, in Turkije genaamd, met die rare muziek, had ik het helemaal niet meer, dat sloeg alles en raakte ik de kluts kwijt. Een kwartet voor die instrumenten bijvoorbeeld, moet het toppunt zijn van klankrijkdom. Kortom, dat is iets wat ik je altijd heb horen roepen. Helaas vermoed ik dat ik zelf daar niet meer aan toe zal komen, wegens verplichtingen elders, zal ik maar zeggen. Over de en consorten praat ik maar niet, maar dat is natuurlijk een vergelijkbaar pakket. Het was groots, ik moest een keuze maken en kom helaas vanavond niet naar het concert. Dit belooft veel goeds voor de toekomst.

Gefeliciteerd!!!!!!!!!!!!! Theo. Duduk /The Armenian duduk is one of Erhu /The erhu is a two-string knee fid- 89Oud /The , known as ‘the sultan of Kemençe / The kemençe is a small the most ancient double instru- dle with a long neck and a round, hexag- instruments’, is the most important Turkish bowed chiefly ments. Over centuries, the duduk trav- onal or octagonal wooden body. The instrument in the Middle East. Its name used in Anatolia and the Black Sea elled to many neighbouring countries upper side of the body is usually cov- is derived from the word for region. Its form and name varied and underwent subtle alterations, such ered with a skin of a python or other wood, probably because wood strips are according to region until defined in as specific tuning and more or fewer snake. The bow is horsehair on a bam- used to make the round body. Relative Anatolia. Until the end of the nine- finger holes. Nowadays, duduk variants boo stick. While playing, the erhu is to its body, the neck of the oud is short teenth century, the instrument was can be found in Georgia (duduki), rested on the player’s left thigh and and it has no frets, endowing the instru- used in Rumeli folk music, kaba saz, (), Turkey (), held with the left hand; the right hand ment with the potential for enormous accompanied by the and percus- and the Balkan nations. Its basic moves the bow. Because of its lovely, melodic flexibility: the musician can sion. It was only at the end of the nine- form has changed little during this long lyrically expressive sound, the erhu is play microtones – the tones between teenth century that the kemençe history, however. The instrument was used as a solo instrument in small folk the twelve half-steps of the chromatic became truly popular, also being used originally made of bone, as were many and classical ensembles and in Chinese scale – which are essential for much in the ince saz, Turkish art music. The early , but nowadays, the tube is orchestras. The erhu belongs to the Arabian and Turkish music. The most kemençe has three strings and a pear- made of apricot wood. It has a range of huquin, or ‘foreign stringed instru- common stringing arrangement com- shaped body made from the wood of the one-and-a-quarter , and is a ments’, group, which suggests they are prises eleven strings in six courses mulberry and plum trees, and the deceptively simple instrument. It is nei- not indigenous. Instruments resembling (five pairs tuned in unison and a single juniper berry bush. The bow stick is ther diatonic nor even-tempered and the erhu were common in Chinese bass string). The strings are usually made from rosewood or boxwood. variants exist in a number of keys. The music from the twelfth century onwards. made of nylon or gut and these are There is no fingerboard on the neck and velvety, melancholic sound it produces (from www.atlasensemble.nl) strummed with a plectrum, the risha or the strings are stopped by pushing the and its great dynamic potential have mizrap. Another characteristic feature fingernails against them. The kemençe made it popular in many musical genres. of the oud used throughout the Arab is held vertically, resting on the lap of It is traditionally played in small ensem- world is the neck with its backward- the player. The tuning is: d (neva), bles, often in duet with frame , facing tuning knobs. In its construction, (rast), d (yegah). such as the , in lyrical songs and tuning and sound, the Arabian oud dif- (from www.atlasensemble.nl) dances. Nowadays, the duduk is also fers somewhat from its Turkish and played in clubs and is included in larger Armenian cousins. The instrument is professional ensembles. the ancestor of the Chinese , the (from www.atlasensemble.nl) Japanese , the European (al-oud, became ‘lute’) and ultimately of the guitar. (from www.atlasensemble.nl) titel?

Ney / Instruments called or Pipa /The pipa is a four-stringed 10 11 include end-blown and side-blown Chinese lute with a pear-shaped body. Flower garden flutes of the Middle East, Iran and Pipa was a general term referring to Central Asia. The term ney derives from those plucked-string instruments the ancient Persian for ‘reed’. The end- played in hand-held positions with the and minefield— blown ney of Turkey and Iran is made of outward right-hand fingering technique, the stem of a bamboo plant, and is pi and the inward one, pa. The pipa has played using a unique technique: the a history of over 2000 years spanning Joel Bons’ player rests the end of the instrument from the Han to the Tang Dynasty. Its against his teeth at the side of his short, bent neck has 30 frets which mouth and blows across the top – his extend onto the soundboard, offering a multicultural teeth and tongue shape the sound. wide range. The frets are made of ivory, Side-blown neys are played by blowing wood, jade, or bamboo. The pipa has over a hole in the side of the instrument. four strings tuned A, D, E, A. It is held music institute / The ney is played with the circular vertically on the lap and played using breathing technique, it can be made of false fingernails. This allows more free- ... Amsterdam 2010: the new Conservatory building in the East wood, brass, or copper and it has a dom to perform various techniques, Docklands is a hive of activity. All manner of sounds emerge from range of two-and-a-half octaves. It is including pitch-bends, tremolos, and a every knock and cranny: from a baroque violin to a barking . 1) often used to create religious music in continuous strumming of the strings From familiar symphonies by the student orchestra to boundary-break- the Islamic Sufi tradition. The rich, airy with four fingers. The pipa is the most ing just-written notes played by a multicultural ensemble – mellifluous, sound has also made it a favourite expressive of the Chinese plucked- and delightful to the eye. instrument for folk and . string instruments. Throughout the cen- What has happened in the intervening years? The Conservatory has The instrument varies from region to turies, the Chinese have loved its music undergone a rapid development: alert to the changes in society, it has region: the differs consider- and there is a large repertoire of pipa evolved along with it and become a crossroads of musical cultures. ably from the Persian one, for instance. music handed down from generation to The Composition Department flourishes as never before and talented (www.atlasensemble.nl) generation by individual artists and young composers are drawn to Amsterdam from all corners of the scholars. world. Because this is the place – the only place – where they can find (from www.atlasensemble.nl) what they are looking for: a centre where the integration of Western and non-Western instruments and musical forms in all their variegat- ed splendour are examined and taught. That is the music of which they dream: the music of the future ...

Is this a utopian vision? For now, yes, but if it was up to the writer of the passage above, it is one that could be realised. The man behind those words, Joël Bons, has for many years been renowned in the Dutch new music world as enterprising, ener- getic and boundary breaking. The last in that list can be taken literally, because in 2001 Bons launched the Atlas Ensemble, a 30-strong chamber orchestra that concen- trates on the playing of new repertoire. Its members are top musicians from Beijing, Baku, Istanbul, Yerevan, Teheran, Berlin and Amsterdam. The Atlas Ensemble estab- lished that a multicultural sound palette can be the source of unprecedented musical potential.

Small wonder then that Bons was invited to be the Amsterdam Conservatory Artist in Residence. The board must have realised that workshops on non-Western instru- mental techniques, music theories and the art of improvisation would be like a breath

1) Chinese mouth organ titel? titel?

of fresh air blowing through the corridors of the Conservatory. When Professor 12 13 Dangerous territory / Marijke Hoogenboom inquired as to how Bons viewed his task, he replied that during One of Bons’ initiatives as Artist in Residence was to organise various workshops his term as Artist in Residence he would like to sow the seeds for a flourishing for Western students led by Eastern musicians, which often involved the students ‘knowledge institute’ where ethnic music would be examined and performed. After receiving a severe lambasting. The composition students were faced with the subtle all, the changes in our society should not silently pass the young generation of musi- art of intonation practised by Middle Eastern musicians in their maqams. 6) This is cians and composers by: this was the tenor of the declaration of intent Joël Bons dangerous territory because the complex system of Arab maqams is coupled with a composed at the request of the research group for Art Practice and Development. theory of affect, in a manner comparable with Indian ragas. Which Western com- posers would be prepared to risk burning their fingers on that one? ... The kilim and the clove are already fully incorporated into our house- holds, in the same way the sheng and the 2) can become familiar In ‘these instrument workshops’, Western instrumentalists encountered teaching sights in our conservatories, ensembles and orchestras. And just as methods whereby musical phrases had to be played by ear and just a few agreements Thai and Moroccan recipes have become everyday fare, the maqam 3), were made as basis for improvisation. Set adrift from the safe haven of written nota- raga 4) and pelog and slendro 5) can become part of our cultural legacy, tion, bars and equal tuning, musicians found themselves floundering in the mael- part of the inheritance of young composers from Malaysia, Mexico and strom of the Great Unknown. Some were confused and frustrated, others welcomed Mozambique.’ ... the placing of their own music culture into a new perspective.

Commitment? / However one chooses to view them, danger was inherent to Bons’ plans. Any Bons is not the first to argue the case for incorporating ethnic music practices into Westerners setting foot in the world of Arabian, Indian, Turkish or Chinese music for Western composition. Ton de Leeuw (1926–1996) was a great advocate of the first time will imagine themselves in some enchanted flower garden. They will ini- Western musicians turning their attention to the sound to the East. But whereas we tially be unaware of the landmines and snares of musical protocols and taboos. know that De Leeuw was particularly fascinated by the mentality of Eastern musi- Unpleasant surprises await those who close their eyes to the extra-musical context. cians and the symbolic value of their musical language, we are rather in the dark This was evidenced by the gigantic cultural chasm that was revealed in the ney 7) about Bons’ motives. workshop given some two years ago by the Turkish musician Kudsi Erguner, scion of an ancient and respected musical lineage. Erguner spoke about the ritual Sufi music One of the many goals Bons has his eyes on is the forming of multicultural conser- in which the ney has played a prominent role for centuries. He argued that the ney vatory ensembles grounded in the Atlas Ensemble concept. This concept is not taken player is largely responsible for the perception of the Whirling Dervish as transcen- onboard by all concerned without criticism. Composition student Paul Oomen, for dental. Many students were perplexed: ‘What is a Dervish?’ they asked, and ‘What is example, recently gave a reading at the Amsterdam Conservatory in which he vented a Sufi ritual?’ ‘Does the ney player have freedom to improvise, and if so must the strong objections. He stated that the Eastern musicians in the Atlas Ensemble had player abide by strict musical rules?’ Questions, questions. The music, it appeared, had to adjust to a Western, nineteenth-century music model, while the Western musi- was just the tip of the iceberg. cians remained safely ensconced in their musical home base. He concluded that those who suggested the Atlas Ensemble was an innovative project were wrong. For Doubly deprived / this reason, Oomen, who enjoys working with non-Western musicians, consciously Very occasionally, a Western student – or ex-student – dares to venture out to invest- seeks out working methods that entail the Western musician being weaned off famil- igate the musical iceberg in more detail. Recorder player Rafaela Danksagmüller is iar conventions. just such a person. Among other things she organised a well-attended workshop Whereas Oomen is guided by engaging with his fellow musicians, Bons’ motives together with Bons as part of his activities as Artist in Residence. She journeyed this appear to be of a different kind. First and foremost, he craves tonal beauty and know- summer to Yerevan, where she immersed herself in Armenian daily life. On alternate ledge. He is in the thrall of exotic tunings, timbres and performance practices based days she received tutelage from a renowned duduk master. She learnt a great deal, on oral tradition, improvisation and ornamentation. He hopes that the sound palette but the most important of her insights was that she would never be able to fully inter- of the emerging generation of composers will be enriched by ethnic timbres, effects nalise Armenian music. ‘There are too many factors involved,’ says Danksagmüller. and opportunities for expression. ‘I’ve spoken to various who say that the art of duduk playing must be in your genes. I’d question that, but it’s a fact that traditional duduk music is embedded in a culture of centuries-old songs. When playing the duduk, one sings the songs in accompaniment, internally. I speak no Armenian, and I have no particular affinity with Armenian history and culture, I don’t know the poetry and I can’t place the symbol- ism in context. At best I can become a good imitator, but nothing more than that.’

2) Arabian — 3) Arabian tone system — 4) Indian tone system — 5) Indonesian tone systems 6) Set of characteristic melodic phrases, prominent notes, and boundaries based on a scale — 7)Turkish bamboo titel?

Danksagmüller, still in love with the extraordinarily beautiful sound of the duduk has 14 15 Kanun /The kanun is a plucked zither / The santur is a three- nonetheless found a niche for herself: as a member of the multicultural ensemble with a flat trapezoid body. It has 75 struck zither, also known as a hammer Zigurrat she plays notes written especially for her, so she is not weighed down by the strings placed such that three strings . It has a flat trapezoid body burden of the duduk tradition. are plucked at the same time to produce with 72 strings arranged so that three The problem of Western students’ cultural deprivation has been noted by many one pitch (a similar technique is strings are struck simultaneously to teachers of ethnic music. Paco Peña, for example, flamenco teacher in the Rotterdam employed by the piano). The player uses make each pitch. The number of strings Conservatory’s World Music Department, recently delivered a sledgehammer blow to both hands to pluck the strings with varies between 63 and 84. The santur his flock of Dutch students. In an interview with the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, plectra. The left hand also manipulates can be made of various kinds of wood he said ‘Most (Dutch) students start at about the age of twenty. Even if they are a set of switches that pull the strings to (walnut, rosewood, betel palm, etc.) exceptional students, they are at a disadvantage to all Andalusians, for they have change the pitch. With these switches depending on the sound quality desired. been surrounded by flamenco from day one. It isn’t a lag of twenty years but of twen- (mandal, in Turkish) micro intervals can The front and the back of the instrument ty thousand. During this period in your life you learn the best and the most. It’s got be obtained with great precision, which are connected by soundposts, the posi- nothing to do with having flamenco in your blood, it’s about culture.’ In addition to the allows for the great variety of non- tions of which play an important role question of culture, here Peña touches upon another sensitive issue: the age at which tempered tunings used in the music of in the sound quality of the instrument. the ability to absorb music is at its highest. Any Western student who nonetheless the Near East. Kanun players also use The player strikes the strings with two wishes to be become a sitar player, a kanun 8) virtuoso or a shakuhachi 9) adept must the switches to create beautifully orna- delicate felt-covered hammers called therefore reconcile themselves to this arrested development. mented melodies that mimic the sound mezrab. The virtuoso santur player of the human voice. The kanun is a produces light, shimmering tones by Pioneering spirit / classical instrument of the Arab world, striking the instrument with great preci- The other aspect of Bons’ plan perhaps stands a greater chance of success: his mul- widely described in both oral and writ- sion and at blinding speed. The earliest ticultural music institute could provide a continuation course for non-Western music ten traditions. Like other instruments of predecessors of the modern santur may students who wish to enrich their idiom with Western avant-garde music, pop and the Islamic world, including the ney and date back to 1600BC and it is one of the jazz. Such students would be required to operate almost entirely independently: daira, it is played in the improvisatory main instruments of Iranian music. without a strongly developed pioneering spirit they simply would not make it. musical tradition known as maqam or It is played solo and in ensembles in the makam. improvisatory musical tradition of A santur 10) player who has a composition student write new repertoire, or a (from www.atlasensemble.nl) maqam. 11) player learning jazz licks from a saxophonist must be able to get by without a tutor (from www.atlasensemble.nl) to refer to. Moreover, the achievements of such students would be almost impossible to evaluate, since they would – literally – be setting a new tone, beyond established frames of reference. One thing, in any case, is as clear as day: our society has changed radically, and so has its musical backdrop. We have been able to gain access to all manner of for a long time now, from Central African pygmy songs to Korean Temple music. Music education in the West will have to take this into account one way or another. If only for this reason, Bons’ plans should receive serious atten- tion.

Saskia Törnqvist /

Saskia Törnqvist is a musician and musicologist. She regularly publishes articles on ethnic music and contemporary music in the Dutch national daily newspaper Het Parool, gives courses in listening to non-Western music at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and teaches new Dutch music the Amsterdam School of the Arts.

8)Turkish Zither — 9) Japanese bamboo flute — 10) Persian and Turkish dulcimer — 11) Chinese lis- ten

www.atlasensemble.nl www.vpro.nl/programma/avondconcert/afleveringen/25676113/ e-mail response

Sheng /The sheng is a Chinese mouth Suona /The suona is a Chinese double 18 19 Response to: organ. Its body is a bowl made of metal reed instrument that has its origins in Duduk Festival or wood, or a gourd. The instrument has the Persian and Arabian regions, where Amsterdam Conservatory a blowpipe and 17 to 36 bamboo or it is known as or surnai. It was 3 & 4 February 2006 metal pipes that extend from the top of intruduced to China during the Jin and the bowl. The elegant symmetrical the Yuan dynasties. The instrument From: Anne Ku arrangement of the pipes represents the generally comes in three types: the bass Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2006 10:14:34 +0100 two folded wings of the mythical suona with dynamic and solemn tone To: Joël, Raphaela Danksagmuller phoenix. Each pipe has, inside the bowl, quality; the alto suona with a forceful Subject: Focus DUDUK feedback a side-hole covered by a metal tongue and bright timbre; and the penetrating that interrupts the air current. The and sonorous soprano suona. The two Hi Raphaela & Joël: sheng produces a remarkably clear, ends are made of copper, and the body metallic sound. Western , is made of wood and has eight holes. Much thanks for letting me know about this 2-day workshop and reed organs, and use the It is quite difficult to produce a sound. allowing me to participate. same basic acoustic principles as the The suona is a popular , sheng. Mouth organs similar to the prevailing among various nationalities What a shock it was, for me, to discover that I could not make sheng are first mentioned in Chinese in China. Because of its volume and even a simple noise with the Duduk. It looked so simple — and texts dating from the fourteenth to strident tone quality it is the principal yet that is where the paradox lies. twelfth centuries BC. Today the sheng is instrument played outside: at festivals, Many analogies to the way the world has evolved — the complica- mainly used to play Chinese classical weddings, funerals, ancestral and sacri- ted looking and workings of Western instruments which produce music in small and large ensembles, ficial ceremonies. In modern Chinese accuracy & controllable pitch/tone quality — vs the simpler loo- along with other instruments such as orchestras the reformed suona is king Eastern instruments that gives the illusion of ‘inferiori- the pipa and erhu. The sheng has a frequently played. ty’, but that is hardly the case, as I discovered. Japanese equivalent: the sho. (from www.atlasensemble.nl) (from www.atlasensemble.nl) One of the most enjoyable and enlightening parts of your 2 day workshop was the composition discussion on day one. I would have liked to see a longer session with notation on the board and techniques of the duduk — and more on the range, what you can or cannot do — and even a duduk consort. Perhaps I can write some- thing with what I’ve learned. The other session I enjoyed immen- sely was the documentary film. Despite being pre-edited, it tou- ched me greatly.

Perhaps you would consider doing a tour of your workshop at other conservatories, since only three of us from HKU attended. Or an exchange programme in the UK — where world music is rife with interest. I lived in London for over 10 years.

Would you be organising anything on Chinese instruments? Or know of places here in the Netherlands? I discovered this in the UK: http://www.ukchinesemusic.com/Frame_events.html

Once again, thank you for organising this event and opening it to the public.

Kind regards, Anne fridayRoom 101 / Amsterdam 03.02.2005 Conservatory saturdayProgramme / 04.04.2005

20 friday21 03.02.2005friday 03.02.2005 10:00 — 11:00 / Gevorg Dabaghian: Introduction and demonstration duduk 10:00 — 11:00 / Gevorg Dabaghian: Introduction and demonstration duduk 10:00 — 11:00 /FocusGevorg 10:0011:00 — 12:00 / Just Listening: The— duduk in different11:30 music styles: / traditional, jazz, contemporary (Atlas Ensemble, Silk Road Ensemble, John Tavener, Vache Sharafyan), pop (Paul McCartney), etc. 12:00 — 13:0011:00 / Composing — 12:00 for Duduk / Just I: instruction Listening: by Gevorg The Dabaghian, duduk in different music styles: Theo Loevendie, Fabio Nieder, Joël Bons and Raphaela Danksagmüller traditional, jazz, contemporary (Atlas Ensemble, Silk Road Ensemble, John Tavener, Dabaghian: DudukIntroducti^ / Masterclass: 13:00on — 14:00 / Lunch Duduk for Vache Sharafyan), pop (Paul McCartney), etc. The duduk, the Armenian oboe, is one of the oldest and most 14:00 — 15:00 / Workshop: Armenian traditional music performed on your own instrument 15:00—16:00 / Workshop: Duduk for beginners ( will be provided by Mr. Dabaghian) beautiful-sounding instruments in the world. Its warm and 12:00 — 13:00 / Composing for Duduk I: instruction by Gevorg Dabaghian, and demonstration dudbeginners,16:00 — 17:30 / Lecture: Armenian music in historical context, by Vahe HovanesianGevorg melancholic timbre never fails to move. Even if your primary interest Theo Loevendie, Fabio Nieder, Joël Bons and Raphaela Danksagmüller 20:00 — 21:00 / Concert: Gevorg Dabaghian (duduk) with Bassem Alkhouri (kanun), Margarita Kourtparasidou (percussion) is not in ‘other’ cultures, you might find the encounter with this Amsterdam Conservatory, room 324, Sweelinck Hall instrument and master performer Gevorg Dabaghian stimulating saturday 13:0004.04.2005 — 14:00 / Lunch Dabaghian10:00 — 11:30 / Masterclass: Duduk for beginners, Gevorg Dabaghian and enriching. 11:30 — 12:00 / Composing for Duduk II: try-out of fragments by composition students 14:00 — 15:00 /Workshop: Armenian traditional music performed on your own 12:00 — 12:30 / Presentation: The duduk and its relatives (oboe, mey, guanzi, koushnai, zurna, etc), by Ernest Rombout Focus Duduk offers the opportunity to get acquainted with this instrument 11:0~0 — 12:00 / Just Lunchtime concert: arrangements for wind instruments, instrument, its culture, its relatives in the family and including duduk, Erik Satie/Joël Bons: Huit Chorals, Gabriel Erkoreka: Duduk and Caglayan Yildiz: Alone its use in various musical genres ranging from the traditional to 13:15 — 14:0015:00—16:00 / Lunch /Workshop: Duduk for beginners (duduks will be provided by Mr. Listening:the contemporary and from folk to The art music. duduk in11:3014:00 — 15:00Dabaghian) / Film documentary — about the duduk in 12:00Armenia, by Raphaela Danksagmüller /& Renee Span (summer 2005) A wide variety of activities is scheduled, including: 15.00-16.30 Workshop: Mugam improvisation. Bring your own instruments! – presentation of the duduk 16.30-17.3016:00 / Forum — discussion 17:30 / Lecture: Armenian music in historical context, by Vahe Hovanesian different– workshop for beginners music styles:ComposingSmall party with Armenian cognac and chocolate apricots for Duduk II: – composing for duduk 20:00 — 21:00 / Concert: Gevorg Dabaghian (duduk) with Bassem Alkhouri (kanun), – concert performances and film Margarita Kourtparasidou (percussion) traditional, jazz, contem-try-outAmsterdam Conservatory, of room 324,fragments Sweelinck Hall by saturday 04.04.2005 porary (Atlas Ensemble,composition10:00 — 11:30 / Masterclass: Duduk for beginners, students Gevorg Dabaghian 11:30 — 12:00 / Composing for Duduk II: try-out of fragments by composition stu- Silk Road Ensemble, Johndents 12:00 — 12:30 / Presentation: The duduk and its relatives (oboe, mey, guanzi, koush- Tavener, Va che 12:00nai, zurna, etc) —, by Ernest Rombout12:30 / Lunchtime concert: arrangements for wind instruments, Sharafyan), pop (Paul Presentation:including duduk, Erik Satie/Joël Bons: Huit Chorals, The Gabriel Erkoreka: duduk Duduk and Caglayan Yildiz: Alone McCartney), etc. and13:15 — 14:00its / Lunch relatives (oboe, 14:00 — 15:00 / Film documentary about the duduk in , by Raphaela mey,Danksagmüller guanzi, & Renee Span (summer 2005) koushnai, 12:00 — 13:00 / zurna,15.00-16.30 Workshop: etc) Mugam improvisation., by Bring yourErnest own instruments! 16.30-17.30 / Forum discussion Composing for Duduk RomboutI: Small party with Armenian cognac and chocolate apricots instructionLuc Deleu, ‘Outline concept for urban development of the European Quarter inby Brussels’, 6 August Gevorg 2002 Lunchtime concert: Dabaghian, arrangements for wind Lectures / 22 23 Atlas In the run-up to Joël Bons tenure at the Conservatory, the Atlas Ensemble (Ensemble in Residence at the Holland Festival 2004) organised a number of readings in the Ensemble / IJsbreker: Aygun Bayramova spoke about chanende singing in the Azerbaijani mugam; Gevorg Dabaghian about the duduk in Armenian music; Kudsi Erguner about The Atlas Ensemble draws together musicians from China, Central the role of the ney in Islamic mysticism; and Simon Shaheen, oud and violin virtuoso, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The unprecedented splendour of the discussed the art of ornamentation in Arabian music and the theoretical and practi- Ensemble’s sound owes much to the unique combination of Western cal background of Arabian music in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. and non-Western instruments; all manner of plucked, bowed, blown and struck instruments with shared ancestral prototypes are repre- sented. United, these instrumental families invoke a lush, shimmering timbral universe that surpasses the wildest dreams of many a compos- Workshop / er. The repertoire comprises works especially written for the Ensemble. During the Gaudeamus Music Week 2005 the Nieuw Ensemble organised two work- The Atlas Ensemble is made up of top musicians from Beijing, Baku, Istanbul, shops: ‘Guests from China, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan’, in which Saed Haddad, Hiba Yerevan, Teheran, Berlin and Amsterdam. The non-Western musicians are interna- Al Kawas and Lin Wang talked about their new work, and the sho, , kanun en oud tional soloists, and some of them are eminent educators attached to conservatories. were demonstrated; and a forum with Theo Loevendie, founder of the transcultural The Western musicians are members of the Nieuw Ensemble, the Dutch contempo- Zigurrat Ensemble, about innovating the sound palette using non-Western instru- rary music ensemble that has gained a national and international reputation for its ments. brilliant performances and its adventurous and pioneering programming. Bons him- self says that the Atlas Ensemble is the most reckless project he has ever embarked China / upon...... verdere txt ontbreekt in het doc...... As part of the Amsterdam China Festival, a number of workshops and readings were held in collaboration with the Amsterdam Conservatory: Min Xiaofen gave a reading and workshop about the pipa; Wu Wei gave another about the sheng; and Tan Dun gave a reading entitled ‘Virtual music’. There was also a meeting with Chinese com- posers for composers and conductors. 24 25 OpenMusic and contemporary compositional techniques Amsterdam Conservatory / Nieuw Ensemble and Rozalie Hirs (2005–2006) Tou r à Tou r — 26 27 OpenMusic and a composition by Amsterdam Joël Bons / Conservatory/ Now that the long journey that led to the creation of the Atlas Ensemble is over, and it is apparently a viable initiative, the time has come to give shape to my musical Nieuw Ensemble & ideas. I have adopted a modest attitude as composer. This piece is a homage to some of my best-loved instruments, the magicians who play them and the musical culture from which they come. Fundamental to the piece are the solos for sheng, kamacha and Rozalie Hirs . The sheng solo was composed by myself and fully notated. The two Azeri play improvisations in their own mugam tradition. These solos are placed in a framework by the other instruments combined in a duet, trio, quartet or tutti, often in dialogue, (2005–2006) or tour à tour. I have always been passionate about the combining of apparently incompatible people The use of advanced technology in contemporary composition is spreading fast and things. Initially, critics saw little future in the perilous endeavour of bringing internationally. However, conservatory education has hardly managed to keep up. In together musicians from cultures as diverse as those in China, the Middle East and a unique project, the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Nieuw Ensemble will focus Europe – especially to play newly composed pieces. I, however, see this assembly of on this fascinating topic and bring the latest developments to the fore by presenting gifted musicians and their cultures as something to be celebrated. In To ur à Tour an in-depth course on , analysis and OpenMusic. something similar happens, but on a compositional level. Various musical languages The course will be combined with a composition practicum by the Nieuw Ensemble. intermingle and alternate. I experienced the whole as organic, simply because all The participating composition students will collaborate closely with the musicians these ingredients belong in my musical universe. In this wondrous world, East and of the Nieuw Ensemble while writing a work for its basic line up. All newly composed West, harmony and dissonance, erhu, kemençe and cello are not at odds with each works will be premiered at the final concert in June 2006. other, rather they exemplify the abundance that music has to offer. The departure The project was designed by Rozalie Hirs and Joël Bons. Rozalie Hirs will present a point for the conception of this piece is tone; it is not the musical material that is cen- series of lectures and workshops. tral to it, but listening. The main body of the course will comprise four lectures and ten workshops by Rozalie Hirs, and seven sessions with the Nieuw Ensemble curated by its artistic director Joël Bons. Additional guest lectures and workshops will be given by (), Mikhail Malt (IRCAM), Marco Stroppa (Hochschule für Musik, Stuttgart), Niels Bogaards (IRCAM) and Benjamin Thigpen. The approach during the first semester (Part A) will be directed towards acquiring insight into compositional techniques and programming methods. During the second semester (Part ), the course will focus on the application of the obtained knowledge. The development of original works by the participating Composition students will be central to this part of the course. The final concert on 9 June 2006, by the Nieuw Ensemble, will conclude the course by presenting the new compositions to the public. A publication will document the creative process of the ten participating composers: Liga Celma, Justin Christensen, Miguelángel Clerc, Ignacio Fernández Bollo, Daniel Gutierrez Berumen, Ernesto Illescas-Peláez, Chikage Imai, Andrzej Kwiecinski, Rodrigo Tascón and Çaglayan Yildiz.

From the programme book Grand Tour – Atlas Ensemble 9 March 2006 OpenMusic / Rozalie Hirs OpenMusic / 28 29 Rozalie Hirs Sound recording and the development of electronic music in the twentieth century have led to entirely new perceptions of sound. From the 1970s onwards composers consciously applied these percepts to their instrumental music. Insights drawing on psychoacoustics, technology and the natural sciences have inspired compositional processes. Research into sound, and its dissection into partials, has contributed to scores for instruments whose origins lie in the distant past.

In the early 1990s the Patchwork computer program was developed at IRCAM (Institute for Music/Acoustic Research and Coordination) in Paris to enable com- posers to work directly with the parameters of sound: frequency and duration. The equally tempered twelve tuning – as used for the piano – that has charac- terised art music in the West for two centuries is no longer determinant. The compos- er can now decide when smaller steps are required, and how they should be applied. During the composition process, musical ideas can be visualised in notation for ref- erence and contemplation, but only in the concluding phase is the final translation made to the score. Composition is thus less determined by tradition than formerly. Instrumental music has learned from its electronic sister.

Patchwork’s achievements have been further extended with OpenMusic, which is often used in combination with AudioSculpt – also developed at IRCAM. The com- poser can analyse a sound or split it into its constituent frequencies. The data obtained in this way can be transformed in OpenMusic and thereafter translated into notation. Gérard Grisey and Tristan Murail called the process of allocating various frequency components to instrumentalists instrumental additive synthesis, after the concept of additive synthesis as applied in electronic music. This is the same thing as the transcription of a sound (of any kind) to notation for instrumentalists. The com- poser can transform the data within OpenMusic, for example by stretching or com- pressing their duration or harmonic relationships. The composer can use a variety of transformations at any moment in the score. A particular advantage of composition inspired by sound and sound transformation is that it is possible to create musical works with a remarkable potential for internal coherence from moment to moment. Many listeners experience this as a continually evolving, transporting tonal environ- ment.

OpenMusic can also be used to calculate frequency and duration in accordance with, for example, theoretical models, algorithms and mathematical processes. In this respect it is related to, among others, the AC Toolbox created by Paul Berg of the Sonology Institute at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.

For more details, see www.rozalie.com During the OpenMusic course at the Amsterdam Conservatory the software of the 30 31 TheDuring AIR programme the OpenMusic at the Amsterdam Schoolcourse of the at Arts the is an Amsterdam Colophon Conservatory the software of the same name was applied in a variety of ways. Any accusation that its use could only initiativesame ofname the research was group applied Art Practice in and a varietyDevelopment of and ways. Any accusation that its use could only result in easily identifiable music rooted in a French aesthetic was thus avoided. isresult carried outin ineasily cooperation identifiable with the Academy music of Architecture, rooted in aeditors French aesthetic was thus avoided. The international company of young contemporary composers switched effortlessly theThe Netherlands international Film and Television company Academy, of the Amsterdamyoung contemporaryMarijke Hoogenboom composers switched effortlessly from one medium to the other, and it was not restricted by any particular composi- Conservatoryfrom one and medium the Theatre School.to the other, and it was notPol Eggermontrestricted by any particular composi- tional paradigm such as instrumental music. A new technology was only used if it tional paradigm such as instrumental music.Nienke A Rooijakkersnew technology was only used if it opened the ears and accessed new vistas of the imagination. The composers gained opened the ears and accessed new vistas of the imagination. The composers gained a new perspective on themselves and their music. a new perspective on themselves and their music.translation and English copy editing Steve Green (unless otherwise stated) This was an intensive project for all the composers involved: they learned to work This was an intensive project for all the composers involved: they learned to work with new software, applied it within their own creative work and tested it in practical with new software, applied it within their ownphotographer creative work and tested it in practical sessions with the Nieuw Ensemble. Compositional ideas were the subject of direct sessions with the Nieuw Ensemble. CompositionalThomas Lenden ideas(unless were otherwise the stated) subject of direct examination, and calculations were made of the musical effect of the score and the examination, and calculations were made of the musical effect of the score and the achievability of its instrumentation. The course was characterised by introspection. achievability of its instrumentation. The coursegraphic was design characterised by introspection. << Esther Noyons Rosalie Hirsch is composer, writer and associate researcher at the researchgroup Art Practice and Development. printing SSP bv

publisher Amsterdam School of the Arts Art Practice and Development

PO Box 15079 1001 MB Amsterdam The Netherlands +31(0)20 527 78 04 www.ahk.nl

with thanks to Nieuw Ensemble Atlas Ensemble Hans Verbugt Lucas Vis Maria Wüst Rozalie Hirs Wim Henderickx Raphaela Danksagmüller The Composition Department All directors of studies, guest tutors and students

Extract from the programme booklet for the OpenMusic Composing Practicum final concert. tekstje?

Wind & Strings / 00 32 Instruments / 00 Flower Garden and Minefield; Joël Bons multicultural music instituut / 00 Focus Duduk / 00 Open Music / 00