CULTURAL PROJECTS

FROM MEDIEVAL TO FOLK & WORLD MUSIC

Beyond the geogra­phi­cally localised culture(s), which are adressed  in training, consul­tancy & research, ”culture” is also created, developed — and changes. In the tropics and in this country. It is fasci­na­ting to observe how young musicians in East Timor redis­cover the old Kore-Metan music or how new dance & music tradi­tions are formed at the Caram­bals in Paris, the TFF in Rudol­stadt or the Boombals in Belgium. This invites to join the global concert.

The contem­porary duo Brink­mann & Loch is a joint venture of two Bonn musicians with diffe­rent musical roots: here Klezmer music with its Eastern European sounds and ”talking instru­ments”, there Balfolk with its waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and Breton medita­tive circle dances. The result is something new — a melange of sounds, feeling and impro­vi­sa­tion, often inspired by Tango. Performing in theaters, museums and festivals.

First compo­si­tions and arran­ge­ments by Alexander Loch (1994) can be found on the CD Mein Begehr und Wille by the Cologne medieval ensemble OSWALD (named after the minne­singer ”Oswald von Wolken­stein”). It is distri­buted by Verlag der Spielleute.

Sylex & Balbatruc were two ambitious projects of the Paris phase. The CD ”les trois premiers” is already sold out.

In the nineties there was an epoch of numerous perfor­mances in castles, palaces and at banquets. the German medieval scene associated the stage name ”Alexan­dros of Antioch” with the crowds of specta­tors, learning the basic steps of the old dance ”Trauben­tritt” …

ARS AUDIENDIARS AUDIENDI produced an intel­li­gently designed CD with the saga of the Richmodis of Aducht — the woman who miracu­lously rose from the dead in the Middle Ages. The last track is th ”Song of the Richmodis” — accom­pa­nied by my hurdy-gurdy and inter­preted by Claudia Immer.

In the studio of Volker Bäcker (”the Satan of strings!”) a homage to the blind Irish harpist, TURLOUGH O’CAROLAN, was created in Cologne. During his lifetime he had written melodies that not only delighted the ears of the 18th century, but that are still perfectly suited for bordun instru­ments today.

In the 90s, hurdy-gurdy players from all over Germany joined together in the Ensemble SURRADIAL to form a kind of ”hurdy-gurdy national orchestra” in order to take the musical range of the instru­ment to the extreme and combine it with elements of dance theatre. But distance killed the idealism… only occasional concert record­ings remained.