Sónar 2007 Diary - L'Auditori with a double bill
» Published by szola on Jul 01, 2007
Classical met electronica in an enjoyable double bill at l’Auditori
Friday the 15th of June was the date for the double concert of two collaborations, namely between Alexander’s Annexe and Mire Calix, and between Tristano and Murcof. First out was Alexander’s Annexe and Mira Calix. The trio consists of the musician and composer David Shepard (who did not appear on stage), the pianist Sarah Nicolls and Chantal Pasamonte (also known as Mira Calix). The duo on stage lets the piano take centre stage, but in very different ways. Sarah Nicolls explores the sonorities of her piano beyond the usage of their keys. She has several attempts in bringing out sounds of the piano in unorthodox ways. These attempts are more often successful than not. Chantal Pasamonte on the other hand does not play the piano; in stead she used the sonorities produced by her collaborator and manipulates these sounds. The concert produced several interesting exchanges of sound between the musicians on stage, though sometimes the intensity and experimentation made them drift off.
All in all it was a good and enjoyable collaboration that set the stage for the second act of the evening, the collaboration between the pianist Francesco Tristano Schlimé and Fernando Corona (also known as Murcof). It became evident quite rapidly that this concert was not only to surpass the first one, which in no way s a critique of the first concert, but it could well be one of this years highlights at the Sonar festival 2007. The intensity and vividness of Tristano’s piano playing was absolutely astounding. Tristano not only ruled the piano, but his presences shone vibrantly from the stage, attracting the attention of and at the same time captivating the audience. This young gifted musician played exquisitely with his partner on stage, the calm Fernando Corona. Their different stage personalities were reflected also in their playing. The young pianist used his whole body when creating sounds from his instrument, while the more sombre Corona steered his lush and full-bodied sound waves with a steady hand. Tristano played rhythmic and monotonic parts as smoothly and effortlessly as he experimented with the more detailed sound of the piano. It was a truly amazing display of musical virtuosity. While Tristano was more visible during the concert, it is safe to say the two musicians brought out the best of each other during this too short concert. If you have a chance to witness this collaboration, Soundscaping recommends you not to hesitate in attending their show. It was certainly a captivating event at Sonar.
For more photos from Sónar 2007, please visit the Soundscaping gallery at Flickr