Was there any connection made with the music during the journey?
Frederik & Maud: Not really during the trek. We focused on the group and individual discussions, and on the audio and video recordings. We did connect with the music before the trek during two sessions at the Kazematten with LARF! We listened to Bruckner and discussed his relationship with music and faith, questioning how we relate to these today in a society that is no longer as uniformly Catholic. When the belief in one god fades, are there new answers, or do we leave the questions open? With Bruckner, there were no questions: all solutions came from God. Now, we face a world filled with open questions.
Maud: Someone like Joste, who approaches the world with questions, immediately stood out to me. This curious way of engaging with the world, filled with open questions, might not bring us closer to one truth, but it does bring us closer to each other in some way.
Fran and Joste, did you feel like you had enough input in the story?
Fran & Joste: Yes, both during the trek and afterwards. The recordings are entirely our own contributions. They consist of our words, which were recorded and will be used in the performance.
Maud: Once the final audio and video editing is complete, we'll definitely meet with the youngsters from LARF! to review everything before it premieres at Concertgebouw Brugge on September 21.
Maud and Frederik, how did you approach the text and music?
Maud: We use audio recordings where you can hear them speaking candidly. You can hear all their hesitations and thoughts; you literally hear them thinking, doubting, speaking. Additionally, I've created a strict text score. I based it as much as possible on the words of the youths, collected during a few workshops. In this score, we play with elements typical of a music score: rhythm, melody, volume, repetition.
Frederik and I looked for ways to create a dialogue between Bruckner's music and worldview, and the music and worldview of today's youth. We decided to juxtapose the two in the performance. The dialogue will emerge from the tension between these two worlds.
Frederik: Bruckner's Mass in E minor will be played in its entirety, interspersed with my music. This creates a kaleidoscopic effect, providing different perspectives on various questions. At times, you distinctly feel Bruckner's 19th-century worldview; at other times, you're in today's world. The two will contrast in a healthy way. I feel that Bruckner will emerge differently than if his music were played on its own. We aim for the confrontation of these two worlds and worldviews to generate tension, friction, poetry, and sparks, all while respecting the work and the zeitgeist of the people, the creators. Each worldview is embedded in a particular culture and time. We, too, are products of our time.
I've also crafted a dramaturgy in the arrangement of the whole. Between Bruckner's massive pieces, for instance, there are smaller solos from me, say for oboe and soprano. This dramaturgy in the arrangement means you perceive the music differently.
Fran and Joste, what are your expectations for the final result?
Fran & Joste: We're incredibly excited! The first snippet of the recording we saw was beautiful! So, our expectations are high. The music will make it very moving. We're also curious to hear what we've said ourselves, as we don't exactly remember anymore (laugh).
All six of us, along with our families, will definitely come to the premiere and make it a celebration with all the creators and artists!
