frei_spiel x das große ganze (Archive)

The biennial concert series Frei_Spiel embodies the qualities that define the orchestra and of which the musicians are particularly proud: a bold program that is discussed and decided upon collectively, collaborations with other art forms, and the freedom to playfully engage in artistic experimentation.

For this production, the performers of the She She Pop collective cast a fascinated gaze upon the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie orchestra. They discover a monstrous collective body—a multi-armed, highly expressive being breathing with multiple lungs—and, at the same time, a polyphonic, creative community much like their own. Unlike the performers of She She Pop, however, the musicians are highly specialized and dedicate themselves to the common cause through a strict division of labor, their gaze alternately focused on the person at the conductor’s podium or the musical score, whose notes—written by an untouchable genius—must be executed precisely and in the correct order.

Where does the euphoria come from that this particular collective practice apparently unleashes in the participants and those present? What is the cost? What about the inner contradictions, idiosyncrasies, and special abilities—not to mention the inhibitions, shortcomings, personal worries, and doubts? How and where do they resonate?

One thing both collectives have in common is a passion for experimentation and a questioning perspective on what is considered a fundamental prerequisite of their respective art forms: What exactly have we agreed upon with the audience when we invite them to a concert? And at what point do we tentatively step outside this framework? For this concert, in addition to the musical works by Diana Syrse, Darius Milhaud, and Grazyna Bacewicz, we are developing our own performative scores in which the collective body of the orchestra and the individual perspectives of the participating musicians enter into an explicit dialogue. A collective self-experiment in which the tension between duty and expression, between individual responsibility and collective freedom, is brought to the fore.

In cooperation with:

Kunstfest Weimar

Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm

Programme:

Grażyna Bacewicz - Konzert für Streichorchester (1948)

Diana Sirs - Connected Identities - Part 1
In three movements:
1. Nahual

Music: Diana Syrse
Text: compilation of Tzotzil texts by Diana Syrse written by Jorge Miguel Cocom Pech, Enriqueta Lunez, and Briceida Cuevas Cob

2. The Tower of Babel
Music and text: Diana Syrse

3. El Aleph
Music: Diana Syrse
Text: Aleksi Barrière

Darius Milhaud - La création du monde (1922/1923)

Further musical elements, video and performance