The Musicians, the engineer & Fabian/Musikerne, teknikeren & Fabian
English version
The string quartet
When I met Anna Jalving, Theophil Dan, Mikkel Schreiber, Benedikte Borum Engell
and Henrik Winther Hansen in February 2022, I was prepared.
Just 2 years before, the musicians had performed my quartet
(with Sofie Thorsbro instead of Mikkel) and it had gone well.
We had a workshop in January and now we were in the Espressivo studio.
It was not least Anna’s merit. When I was without strings three months before the debut concert,
she was the one who answered my email to AUT (Århus Unge tonekunstnere),
got a quartet together and later sent me in the direction of Aulos Duo.
The run up to had sharpened my attention to what I had to keep track of.
It is quite important to know your role, in my case to be the composer.
But it gives expectations;
Do you have yours under control?
It also gives professional respect;
We play what you put in front of our noses and it gets our full attention,
the time you have us.
But even though I am the composer, it is not me who has it.
The music must work for everyone – We create a common space, with the music as the center.
And in the end, it is the listener who decides whether it works out.
and I am the listener in this situation.
I started, as I have a habit of dropping the score on the floor.
But this time I was prepared – I knew the score so well that I only set up one page wrong.
It all fell into place.
And maybe they thought I had it under control?
Okay, that’s what we say
Niels Ulbrandt
Rhythmically trained pianist, composer and friend.
He can underplay and play in a straight line. I needed that. He never stands in the way of the music. Music did not stand in the way for Niels either.
Aulos Duo
I had written a piece for flute and clarinet for the Danish Jewish Museum.
I knew it could do something. But it had to be played almost without thought and emotion
and with a fusion between the two voices, so that at times you couldn’t hear the difference between the two instruments.
Anna Jalving gave me the contact for Aulos Duo. Two young Spanish women.
I sent the sheet music – just checked what a clarinet part looks like with Carl Nielsen.
We meet at the conservatory and they hit the first note – they both play the same and
aren’t they the same.
On a Bb clarinet, the fret C sounds like a Bb. but it is still written from the key of G.
classical musician plays what is written, It must have been torture to practice.
María transposed on the spot and then it was music again.
A few weeks later we went to the studio and it was a magical experience.
The Engineer
I knew Henrik Winther Hansen as an acoustician – he has better ears than I do. The musicians know him and they are comfortable with him.
He knows the language, he knows the technique, he knows the music. I have never before seen a sound engineer set up a score and record to it.
Henrik also did mix and master and is co – producer.
Fabian Russ
I got a text “I liked it very much!” Fabian Russ had visited Moesgaard
and seen and not least heard the exhibition RUS Viking.
That was the start of probably the world’s longest text message thread.
Do I know Fabian? Yes, but I have never met him let alone spoken to him. SMS only.
He wanted and wants to do something with me. It will probably happen one day.
The first step was taken when he suggested that he make a remake of one of the works.
It was the 3rd movement from the string quartet.
It’s radically different from everything else on the album and I love it.
You can read more about Fabian Russ by following this link, but here is a short excerpt:
Fabian Russ is the founder of the registered trademark Orchestronik,
under which he works with samples and interweaving of electronics/electronica
and classical music for solo instruments, ensembles and symphony orchestras.
He is also a specialist in 3D listening rooms and mixing immersive sound for headphones.
Also certified as an Ableton artist.
He is extremely active and does a large number of projects,
together with B.a. Alexander Hacke, from Einstürzende Neubauten,
Tom Ammermann, Grammy nominated for his work on the Kraftwerk 3D catalog.
He is currently part of the team around Atticus Ross,
who is working on a documentary about the rap legend Tupac. Check out Disney+.
His most recent project is the release of the 4 double CD “Kaleidoskop der Raume”
which consists of reworks/remakes of works written by
the German baroque composer and organist Heinrich Schütz (1585 – 1672)
As they say in Germany: Before Bach there was Schütz.
I can unreservedly recommend keeping a close eye on Mr. Fabian Russ.
Dansk version
Strygekvartetten
Da jeg i februar 2022 mødtes med Anna Jalving, Theophil Dan, Mikkel Schreiber, Benedikte Borum Engell og Henrik Winther Hansen var jeg forberedt.
Små 2 år før havde musikerne opført min kvartet (med Sofie Thorsbro i stedet for Mikkel) og det var gået godt.
Vi havde en workshop i januar og nu stod vi i Espressivo studio. Det var ikke mindst Annas fortjeneste. Da jeg tre måneder før debutkoncerten stod uden strygere, var det hende der svarede på min mail til AUT (Århus Unge tonekunstnere), fik samlet en kvartet og senere sendte mig i retning af Aulos Duo.
Forløbet op til havde skærpet min opmærksomhed på hvad jeg skulle have styr på.
Det er ret vigtigt at kende sin rolle, i mit tilfælde at være komponisten.
Men det giver forventninger;
Har du styr på dit?
Det giver også professionel respekt;
Vi spiller det du sætter foran vores næser og det får vores fulde opmærksomhed,
den tid du har os.
Men selv om jeg er komponisten, er det ikke mig der har den.
Musikken skal fungere for alle – Vi skaber et fælles rum, med musikken som centrum. Og i sidste ende er det lytteren der afgør om det går op.
og jeg er lytteren i denne situation.
Jeg startede, som jeg har for vane med at tabe partituret på gulvet. Men denne gang var jeg forberedt – jeg kendte partituret så godt at jeg kun satte en side forkert op. Det hele faldt på plads.
Og måske troede de jeg havde styr på det?
Okay det siger vi så.
Teknikeren
Henrik Winther Hansen kendte jeg som akustiker – han har bedre ører end jeg. Musikerne kender ham og de er trygge ved ham.
Han kan sproget, han kan teknikken, han kan musikken. Jeg har aldrig før set en lydtekniker stille et partitur op og optage efter det.
Niels Ulbrandt
Rytmisk uddannet pianist, dertil komponist og ven.
Han kan underspille og spille efter en lige linje. Det havde jeg brug for. Han står aldrig i vejen for musikken. Musikken stod heller ikke vejen for Niels.
Aulos Duo
Jeg havde skrevet en værk for tværfløjte og klarinet til Dansk Jødisk Museum. jeg vidste at det kunne noget. Men det skulle spilles næsten uden tanke og emotion og med en sammensmeltning mellem de to stemmer, så man til tider ikke kunne høre forskel på de to instrumenter.
Anna Jalving gav mig kontakten til Aulos Duo. To unge spanske kvinder. Jeg sendte noderne – tjekkede lige hvordan en klarinetstemme ser ud hos Carl Nielsen. Vi mødes på kons, og de slår den første tone an – de spiller begge den samme og er det ikke den samme.
På en Bb klarinet klinger grebet C som et Bb. men det er stadig skrevet ud fra G nøglen.
klassiske musiker spiller hvad der står, Det må have været en pinsel at øve.
María transponerede på stedet og så var det musik igen.
Et par uger senere gik vi i studiet og det var en magisk oplevelse.
Fabian Russ
Jeg fik en sms “I liked it very much!” Fabian Russ havde besøgt Moesgaard og set og ikke mindst hørt udstillingen RUS Viking.
Det blev starten på verdens nok længste sms tråd.
Kender jeg Fabian? Ja, men jeg har aldrig mødt ham endsige talt med ham. Kun sms.
Han ville og vil lave noget sammen med mig. Det skal nok ske en dag. Første skridt blev taget, da han foreslog, at han lavede et remake af et af værkerne. Det blev 3rd sats fra strygekvartetten.
Det er radikalt anderledes end alt andet på albummet og jeg er vild med det.
Du kan læse mere om Fabian Russ ved at følge dette link, men her et lille uddrag:
Fabian Russ er grundlægger af det registrerede varemærke Orchestronik, under hvilket han arbejder med samples og sammenvævning af elektronik/electronica og klassisk musik for solo instrumenter, ensembler og symfoniorkestre.
Dertil er han specialist i 3D lytterum og at mixe immersive lyd til hovedtelefoner.
Desuden certificeret som Ableton kunstner.
Han er uhyre aktiv og laver en lang række projekter, sammen med Bl.a. Alexander Hacke, fra Einstürzende Neubauten, Tom Ammermann, Grammy nomineret for sit arbejde med Kraftwerk 3D katalog.
Aktuelt er han en del af holdet omkring Atticus Ross, der arbejder på en dokumentar om raplegenden Tupac. Tjek Disney+.
Hans seneste projekt er udgivelse af den 4 dobbelte CD “Kaleidoskop der Raume” der består af reworks/remakes af værker skrevet af den tyske barokkomponist og organist Heinrich Schütz (1585 – 1672).
Som de siger i Tyskland: Før Bach var der Schütz.
Jeg kan uden forbehold anbefale, at holde godt øje med Hr. Fabian Russ.
