Xi, Fantaisie mecanique, Akrostichon-Wortspiel, Double Concerto : Davin / D.Robertson / Kazushi Ono / Asbury / Ensemble Intercontemporain

UNSUK CHIN - Xi

Piia Komsi, soprano
Samuel Favre, percussion
Dimitri Vassilakis, piano
Ensemble intercontemporain
conductors - Patrick Davin / David Robertson / Kazushi Ono / Stefan Asbury

Fantaisie mecanique (1994, rev. 1997)
Xi (1997/1998)
Akrostichon-Wortspiel (1991/1993)
Double Concerto (2002)

Like Xi and Fantaisie mecanique, the Double Concerto for prepared piano, percussion and ensemble (2002) was written for the Paris-based Ensemble intercontemporain. Its central compositional idea is that of combining its two antagonists ? soloists and ensemble ? to create a single homogeneous body of sound. While the soloists provide the impulse for the motivic cells, the ensemble takes up these cells and develops them further. Here too Unsuk Chin uses the idea of metamorphosis to realize a coherent musical texture that is nonetheless constantly growing The sonorities and the complex rhythmic layering of the piece are to some extent influenced by Balinese gamelan music. (Martin Demmler)
“I’ve tried to write music that’s highly coloured in character and expression, freely flowing and flexible, and which sometimes develops in entirely unexpected directions.” ( KAIROS )