Brussels Music
We went to Amsterdam and Brussels in May 2014. These are both wonderful cities and I took all the required tourist photos. But what I really wanted was a story for a photo essay and as usual the story that interested me was totally unexpected: Brussels Music! There were two separate experiences that contributed to this photo essay: Sonic Cathedral #3 and SAX200.
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Sonic Cathedral #3
The first afternoon in Brussels was very rainy. Our hotel just was off Grand Place which was a great place to explore until the rain let up. A short walk up a hill from our hotel was The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. This is a typically massive structure with an equally massive interior. What caught our attention was that people were setting up for a concert. Along with the stage and various equipment, they were installing a lot of lighting. It looked like this was going to be special and the concert turned out to be the next night.
What we experienced was quite extraordinary both musically and visually. While the program was in French, I was able to find some limited English translation on-line: "New Music under the direction of Jean-Paul Dessy, with the participation of Melanie De Biasio, Sigtryggur Baldursson (former Sugarcubes) Kippi Kaninus, Xavier Deprez, Tulegur Gangzi and Gregorian Schola Sablon... Works of Johan Sebastian Bach, Henryck Gorecki, John Taverner, Serge Rachmaninov, Jean-Paul Dessy, and Gregorian Plainsong".
The concert lasted one hour without pause- lights constantly changing color. We sat in the front row so that I could take pictures. I pressed the shutter button constantly for the whole hour- luckily my camera is quiet.
While the color was amazing, it made photography very difficult- purple and blue skin tones are not very pleasing. The majority of images are shown in black and white with selected images in color.
A photo essay about music without music is a challenge for the viewer- you can enjoy the full concert at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwloF8b5u70
This photo essay is now referenced on the Musiques Nouvelles website at:
http://musiquesnouvelles.com/fr/Sons___images/Images/Sonic_Cathedral_2014_-_Repetition_en_images_-_27_mai_2014/776/
Church Organ: As we waited for the start of the concert, I wondered if the massive organ high overhead would be played- it was!
What we experienced was quite extraordinary both musically and visually. While the program was in French, I was able to find some limited English translation on-line: "New Music under the direction of Jean-Paul Dessy, with the participation of Melanie De Biasio, Sigtryggur Baldursson (former Sugarcubes) Kippi Kaninus, Xavier Deprez, Tulegur Gangzi and Gregorian Schola Sablon... Works of Johan Sebastian Bach, Henryck Gorecki, John Taverner, Serge Rachmaninov, Jean-Paul Dessy, and Gregorian Plainsong".
The concert lasted one hour without pause- lights constantly changing color. We sat in the front row so that I could take pictures. I pressed the shutter button constantly for the whole hour- luckily my camera is quiet.
While the color was amazing, it made photography very difficult- purple and blue skin tones are not very pleasing. The majority of images are shown in black and white with selected images in color.
A photo essay about music without music is a challenge for the viewer- you can enjoy the full concert at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwloF8b5u70
This photo essay is now referenced on the Musiques Nouvelles website at:
http://musiquesnouvelles.com/fr/Sons___images/Images/Sonic_Cathedral_2014_-_Repetition_en_images_-_27_mai_2014/776/
Church Organ: As we waited for the start of the concert, I wondered if the massive organ high overhead would be played- it was!
Welcome: Church official welcomed the audience and introduced the orchestra. The light show had begun!
Jean-Paul Dessy & Musiques Nouvelles Take an Opening Bow
Let The Music Begin: The opening was a thunderous roar from the base drum.
Maestro Dessy Took Control
Inspiration: Performers were asked to respond, and they did!
Unexpected: What seemed to be a straight forward classical music concert began to change. Percussionist Sigtryggur Baldursson used this strange instrument (three metal dishes on a drum) to make some very unusual sounds using both a bow and a mallet.
Was this a classical music concert or the sound track for a science fiction movie?
Colors Changed Continuously
Energy Was Rising
Throat Singer: A major change in mood as singer Tulegur Gangzi took the stage. His chants were accompanied by an undulating whistle- throat singing. For an example, check out this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ3BX2tMj1
Were we being transported to Mongolia?
Jazz: No sooner than we got into the amazing sounds from Tulegur Gangz, ballad singer Melanie De Biasio took us to another side of the world.
Was this a pop concert?
The Cross Cultural Duet Continued
Colors Changed Continuously
The Final Crescendo
All To Soon It Was Over
Lavish Praise For His Performers
Organist: As the singers from opposites sides of the world embraced, Jean-Paul Dessy pointed high overhead for Xavier Deprez to take his bow. Look closely and you will see him.
After Multiple Curtain Calls, A Final Farewell
Was this a classical music concert, religious concert, score for a science fiction movie, visit to the hills of Mongolia, or a pop concert? The answer is "yes"! It all fit together perfectly. This concert demonstrates how very different cultures can come together in perfect harmony. If we could only practice this in our daily lives.
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SAX200
SAX200
Another unexpected experience in Brussels was MIM: Musical Instrument Museum described as follows- "In a beautifully restored complex in Brussels, of which one part is Art Nouveau and the other, neoclassical in design, the 1200 most interesting instruments are assembled in 4 galleries, enhanced by images, text panels and sounds." This is a wonderful display of both beautiful and even strange instruments. What caught my attention was a special exhibit, SAX200. I was surprised to learn that the venerable saxophone was invented by a Belgian named Sax.
As described by MIM: "In 2014 it will be 200 years since that Great Belgian Adolphe Sax (November 6th 1814 - February 7th 1894) was born in Dinant. This exceptional anniversary is the pretext for an exceptional exhibition at the Musical Instruments Museum. We are emptying the fourth floor of the mim to make way for the ultimate, year-long Sax exhibition. The main themes of SAX200 are 'Sax, the inventor', 'Sax, the entrepreneur', 'Sax himself' and 'Sax after Sax'. Besides telling you everything - and we mean everything - about the saxophone, the exhibition will also cover his other inventions (saxhorns, saxotrombas and even medical instruments!) as well as his commercial vicissitudes and eventful private life. The exhibition curator is scientific assistant Géry Dumoulin. The mim is pulling out all the stops for SAX200. Our own collection of Sax instruments, the largest in the world in public ownership, will be on display in its entirety, but there will also be loans from museums and private collections in Paris, New York, Basel, Edinburgh, Leipzig, London, Amsterdam, Vermillion, Ann Arbor and Bad Säckingen. Many of these instruments have never been on public show before."
What caught my interest from a photographic point of view was the beauty of these instruments. Because all of the instruments were in glass cases, my selection was based on where I could get a good image without a lot of glare.
As described by MIM: "In 2014 it will be 200 years since that Great Belgian Adolphe Sax (November 6th 1814 - February 7th 1894) was born in Dinant. This exceptional anniversary is the pretext for an exceptional exhibition at the Musical Instruments Museum. We are emptying the fourth floor of the mim to make way for the ultimate, year-long Sax exhibition. The main themes of SAX200 are 'Sax, the inventor', 'Sax, the entrepreneur', 'Sax himself' and 'Sax after Sax'. Besides telling you everything - and we mean everything - about the saxophone, the exhibition will also cover his other inventions (saxhorns, saxotrombas and even medical instruments!) as well as his commercial vicissitudes and eventful private life. The exhibition curator is scientific assistant Géry Dumoulin. The mim is pulling out all the stops for SAX200. Our own collection of Sax instruments, the largest in the world in public ownership, will be on display in its entirety, but there will also be loans from museums and private collections in Paris, New York, Basel, Edinburgh, Leipzig, London, Amsterdam, Vermillion, Ann Arbor and Bad Säckingen. Many of these instruments have never been on public show before."
What caught my interest from a photographic point of view was the beauty of these instruments. Because all of the instruments were in glass cases, my selection was based on where I could get a good image without a lot of glare.
Adolphe Sax: The great man himself.
Saxotrombas And Saxhorns: While there is a lot differentiation between Sax's instruments, this group is characterized by having mouthpieces similar to a trumpet rather than a reed as on a saxophone or clarinet. What they all have in common is great beauty.
What Could Be Better Than A Horn With Seven Bells? See below.
A Horn With Thirteen Bells!
Beautiful Designs
Rock Stars Of The 19th Century
Saxophones: The reeds.
Tenor Colossus: Sonny Rollins, saxophone colossus.
Nicola Papalini's Bass Clarinet In C: This is a true wood-wind.
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More Music Pictures from Brussels
More Music Pictures from Brussels
Pint Sized Percussionist: As we approached the large square in front of our hotel we heard loud drumming. I expected to see a very large man beating a very large drum. But what we saw what this little guy pounding frantically in order to get tips. He was quite good... But it was sad as well. He had some sort of facial deformity. And there was a woman off to the side (assumed to be his mother) who was yelling at him. We couldn't understand what she was saying, but he was certainly trying hard to get an audience.
Hava Nagila: We were strolling near Grand Place on our last evening. We heard loud music that sounded like a Klezmer band- they were playing Hava Nagila!! There was a large crowd and everyone was singing along. This was very poignant and a bit scary given the murders at the Jewish Museum in this city just days before. It seemed like people were singing in solidarity and we joined in... The star of this show was the slap-bass player. He was whacking relentlessly on this instrument that looked like a war veteran. Look closely- the third string is missing and the second and fourth strings are crossed over on the bridge. And don't forget to look at his glasses!!
