In cooperation with IRCAM Paris, Chaya Czernowin is developing Poetica, a multi-channel composition for percussion, string instruments and voice.
Poetica is the first part of the VENA cycle, consisting of Unhistoric Acts (2nd panel for string quartet and choir of 24 mixed voices – Donaueschingen 2021) and Immaterial (3rd panel for voice – Eclat Festival 2022). In this evening-long piece, Chaya Czernowin builds a three-level palace in our listening, where we explore the power of our perception through memory. The foundation of this palace of memory is the relationship between the soloist, the four percussionists and the string trio activated by the soloist through electronics.
Poetica by Israeli-American composer Chaya Czernowin reflects our inescapably complex reality – a sonic journey that centers around the emergence of breath, the very essence of living. The work becomes an invitation to move deeper into the heart of percussion sound and find its continuity. Solo percussionist and vocalist Steven Schick is accompanied by four members of Les Percussions de Strasbourg, pre-recorded strings and electronics, including audio recordings taken at protests in Paris, Tel Aviv and the USA.
Situated within the realms of past, present and future, percussionist and vocalist Steven Schick occupies a central yet fluid role, his performance shifting between intimate, microscopic timbres and an expansive, cacophonous system of tones. Four members of Les Percussions de Strasbourg introduce a subtle macrocosm of sound, enveloped by layers of pre-recorded strings, electronics and protest recordings from Paris, Tel Aviv and the USA. This layered soundscape underscores a dynamic interplay between inner and outer worlds of sound, blurring the boundaries between them. “The piece is a meditation on attempting to find a point of clarity and solace in a harsh, unpredictable and indecipherable reality”, says Czernowin. “It’s initiated by breathing and brings the power of breath to the fore.”
Structurally, Poetica builds a “palace of memory” consisting of three sonic-story “floors”. On the first floor, the soloist constructs an expansive and suspended soundscape void of temporality, only to have it all dismantled by a sudden catastrophe. The second floor is dedicated to movement and modulation, to distorted memories and sometimes consoling oblivion. The last floor takes place throughout the space, but also seems to come from outside and from afar. An intricate relationship is created between the interiority and exteriority of sound, and immersion consistently invites the listeners to almost be within the music itself.
Rather than relying on melody or rhythm, Czernowin’s composition emphasises detailed textures and subtle sonic nuances, evoking an intricate sense of vulnerability and sensitivity. Poetica offers an abstract narrative – a reflection of the fragility and sensitivity inherent in human expression, focusing on the quiet, almost imperceptible qualities of sound that can evoke deep emotional responses. She reveals that the title refers to a poetic form that offers a narrative without explicitly telling a story – much like the work itself, which suggests emotion and experience through aural perception rather than direct communication.
⏰ Concert at 8pm
🎫 Booking iere
ℹ️ The MaerzMusik festival
More info on the project here.
Steven Schick, percussions and voice
Les Percussions de Strasbourg
Catinblack (sur enregistrement)
Chaya Czernowin, Carlo Laurenzi, IRCAM computer music design, IRCAM electronics
Jérémie Bourgogne, IRCAM sound diffusion
Chaya Czernowin, Poetica – creation 2024
Commission Ircam-Centre Pompidou, Hellerau European Centre for the Arts, Monday Evening Concerts, Brenda et Steven Schick, Les Percussions de Strasbourg
Coproduction: Ircam-Centre Pompidou, Hellerau European Centre for the Arts, Monday Evening Concerts, Steven Schick, Les Percussions de Strasbourg. Delegated production: Ircam-Centre Pompidou.