in brief
20.03.2023

Udebleven uforsonlighed

Anna Thorvaldsdóttir: »Rituals«
© Saga Sigurdardottir
© Saga Sigurdardottir

Hverdag er det ikke, at et dansk ensemble uropfører ny musik af en af tidens mest efterspurgte komponister. Men Den Danske Strygekvartets udogmatiske koncertrække Series of Four er netop et sted for usædvanligheder, og i aftes bestod usædvanligheden så i uropførelsen af islandske Anna Thorvaldsdóttirs Rituals (2022).

Et 11-satset værk, der med flere passager af højlandsk følsomhed passede ganske eminent til de fire musikeres sensible, men ikke rørstrømske temperament. Med en grundtone af dyb mol og dronende nænsomhed tegnede Rituals igen og igen en nær intimitet op, som enten splintredes af knips og faldende buer eller langsomt saboteredes af knirkende overtryk, flimrende glidninger og snigende dissonans.

Thorvaldsdóttir søgte tydeligt at angribe ritualet som fænomen fra flere sider – fra det store, filmiske fællesskabssug til uafvendelige tvangsgentagelser. Mellem melodisk skønhed og desorienteret bølgegang skvulpede musikken omskifteligt, men nåede måske derfor heller ikke helt ind til et præcist formuleret favntag med psyken eller samfundet.

Værket satte sig mellem flere stole i en køn og nogenlunde dramatisk, men altså også fornærmelsesløs pendulering mellem harmoni og et let kaos, der sagtens havde tålt mere outreret teknik og brudvilje; at skildre tvangstanker med næsten dansante knips på strengene er vel til den mådeholdne side.

Den uforsonlighed, der trods alt stadig findes i Thorvaldsdóttirs musik – lyt bare til hendes seneste orkesterværk, Archora (2022) – måtte godt have indfundet sig på Frederiksberg.

© Peter Gannushkin

»Music for me is a world full of sound that you can explore, juggle with, systematize, be inspired by and form a starting point for meetings between people across cultures and generations.«  

Håkon Berre (b. 1980) has made his mark as a central figure on the Danish improvised music scene. His practice is characterized by an expanded approach to percussion, where both traditional instruments and everyday objects – such as doorbells, tin plates, chains and kitchen utensils – are included in a nuanced and often unpredictable sonic expression. He has performed at clubs and festivals internationally and collaborated with a wide range of notable musicians, including Peter Brötzmann, Phil Minton, Axel Dörner, John Tchicai, Jamie Branch and Otomo Yoshihide. Berre contributes to an extensive discography with more than 40 releases, many of which on the artist-run label Barefoot Records, which he co-founded. He has also composed and arranged music for theatre and exhibitions, and worked on interactive sound installations shown in museums in Denmark and Germany. He is active in a number of ensembles and collaborations, including Ytterlandet, TEETH, VÍÍK and Mirror Matter, as well as in various duo and quartet constellations.

© Niklas Ottander

»Music is a deep, but not serious, spiritual practice, in which creator, collaborator, and consumer alike are their own personal pope.«

James Black (b. 1990) is a composer, performer, and artistic director of Klang Festival – Copenhagen Experimental Music. Originally from Bristol, England, they moved to Copenhagen in 2013. Black's works have attracted a large amount of attention both nationally and internationally for their signature combination of artistic courage and vulnerability, described by the Danish Arts Council as »a universe of real madness where everything goes«. Their work is a deep and personal exploration of topics such as religion, loss, and queer identity, that is unafraid to be stupid or serious in any direction.

© Christian Klintholm

»Music is just something for me.«

Christian Juncker is a Danish musician and songwriter who has released a number of Danish-language albums. He debuted in 1995 with the band Bloom. Together with his friend Jakob Groth Bastiansen, he formed the duo Juncker in 2002. He is also behind the Christmas carol »Luk julefreden ind« from 2024.

© Guy Wasserman

»Music, for me, reveals the emptiness of boundaries and definitions – in consciousness, in space, and in music itself.«

Idan Elmalem is an oud player and composer working across world and popular music, now presenting his debut instrumental EP and live performance project. Following years of collaboration within the Israeli music scene, he turns toward a more personal and intimate musical voice, blending traditional oud with a contemporary sensibility. Influenced by his studies with master Nissim Dakwar, Elmalem’s music explores the space between tradition and innovation. His debut EP, Time, features three live-recorded pieces that move between past, present, and future, combining classical Arabic and Persian elements with jazz, minimalism, and cinematic sound. Based in Tel Aviv, Elmalem draws on his Moroccan-Danish heritage in his work. He is a graduate of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Ethnomusicology at the University of Haifa, alongside his work as a player and composer.

© PR

On May 29, the Aalborg-based collective Datahaven9000 takes over the venue Skråen, transforming its main hall into a concentrated one-day festival of electronic music. The event is part of the concert series Bystanders #3, where the stage is handed over to local scenes rather than the venue’s in-house programming.