‘Revolutionary’ European music troupe to thrill

THE avant garde and experimental are no strangers at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, but a music ensemble from the Netherlands looks set to challenge even the most maverick of theatre-goers who will be called upon to “search for notes”.

The world premiere of Circus Schonberg, which will be presented by the Asko Schonberg music ensemble, is billed as “a show, a performance, a conversation [which has] stunning music and top musicians”.

The ensemble has travelled all over the world including New York and Melbourne. This will be its first visit to South Africa.

Under the direction of Justus Vriesen, who goes by the title of ringmaster, Circus Schonberg promises to be a “musical ride” which asks the question whether a note can be wrong or right. The ringmaster will help audiences decide.

Asko Schonberg is a visionary ensemble in the vein of revolutionary composers from the Second Viennese School who started the emancipation of “wrong” notes from what they call the ruling aesthetics of Western European classical music.

In the past, progressive composers such as Stravinsky swapped “good” notes for those that rattled the cages of music lovers, while experimental Dutch composer Louis Andriessen refused to write for conventional symphony orchestras in the 1970s.

Music from the 20th and 21st century and discovering exciting new composers is central to the innovative ensemble which, besides ringmaster Vriesen, consists of Pauline Post on piano, David Kweksilber on saxophone and clarinet, South African-born James Oesi on double bass and Fedor Teunisse on percussion.

The ensemble, which constantly explores new languages to communicate to new audiences, also connects with other disciplines in science.

● Circus Schonberg will be staged at the National Arts Festival on June 28 and 29.

For information about how to book tickets, please go to: www. nationalartsfestival.co.za

— barbarah@dispatch.co.za