The Musical Floating Sistine Chapel November 30, 2010

Tactum Ensemble's premiers this new piece of music for two violins, viola, cello, flute, clarinet and piano inspired by an installation/sculpture construction of Angel Orensanz. It is intended to pay tribute to the architectural Roman basilica as painted by Michael Angelo as well as other masters of the Renaissance. It is as well a musically not rigorous, completely subjective, historicist tour which leads logically from Gregorian chant, to two organum voices from the 12th century to the 21st century.

This work, about forty minutes of duration, is divided into six parts or movements: It starts with four instruments (flute violin, clarinet, viola) placed on four sides of the concert hall. One of instruments starts a sound, which gradually comes to the opposite instrument. This play takes place on the two diagonals, in such a way that it echoes a cross of sounds. A simple melody, consisting of long notes, which will serve to develop an organum for two and more voices will be generated from this game. While this happens, the instrumentalists will be closer to their respective positions on stage. The counterpoint is already heard here: i.e. melodies with their own entity and similar values that sound simultaneously. This leads to hear a few harmonies that are able to create a hierarchical sense: is the birth of the tonal sense in its first stage. Popular, not church melodies are used. The motet will develop its appearance, and will be used as well. The audience can enjoy all the different colors and nuances thanks to the past, previous works of art and the contemporary musical languages.

Integral part of the concert is the scenography provided by sculptor Angel Orensanz. He reinterprets the space of the Foundation in New York for this concert. He departs from the actual architecture of Alexander Saeltzer as he built it in 1849 in Lower Manhattan. He based his design in the actual Roman building, as it reinterpreted by Michelangelo; and it had been reinterpreted during the Romantic German times by Winkelman, Goethe and Heinrich Heine.

Official Website: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/group/196989