TESSERAE

“Tesserae” denotes tiny mosaic pieces, which can be assembled into impressive works of art. This image serves as a model around which our concert programme with music from the Middle Ages is based. The programme combines some of the most beautiful melodies of the time, among them works from the London Manuscript, the Codex Las Huelgas, the Codex Faenza, as well as compositions by Bernhard de Ventadorn and Mönch von Salzburg (“The Monk of Salzburg”). The works are presented in our own arrangements, with a rich variety of instruments, which comprises, among others, medieval percussion instruments, Romanesque beehive-shaped bells, hurdy-gurdy, recorders, one-hand and double flutes, as well as vocals.
The CD of the same name was nominated for the International Classical Music Awards in 2018.

POINTS OF CONTACT

Exploring the liminal areas of our listening habits through an interplay of the old and the new is a special concern of our ensemble. In this programme, music from the Middle Ages meets new and contemporary music. Both improvised parts and first performances can be heard in this concert programme. For years, we have been collaborating with contemporary composers and together, we are expanding the repertoire for the rather unusual combination of recorder and percussion. In the process, we have significantly contributed to the creation of about 20 works so far. In this concert programme, the results of this collaboration are combined with works from bygone times and in this way, the concert programme open up a fascinating dialogue between the past and the present.

… appendice alle perfezione …

The title of this concert programme of contemporary music is based on a solo piece for 14 bells by Salvatore Sciarrino. Solo pieces for the two fascinating instruments recorder and percussion are combined in duos and make the soundscapes of both instruments come alive in a new context. Works by Romitelli, Aperghis, Sciarrino, Tedde, Berio and others create a firework of acoustic colours.

„Solo per Duo“

The artful arrangement of monophonous works from the Middle Ages constitutes an important part of our creative work. When conceptualising this programme, we began to search for the most beautiful manuscript transmissions of medieval monophony, including both vocal and instrumental music and “dressing” them in new musical garments. This fascinating journey of discovery makes it possible both for us and for our audience to immerse ourselves in medieval music, with a focus on the unique variety of sounds during this epoch.