creation : 04.04.2007, Festival Banlieues Bleues, Gonesse (France)
composition, conception : Andy Emler
musicians : 6 percussionists + MegaOctet by Andy Emler (piano, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, cornet, flugelhorn, voice, tuba, double bass, drums, marimba and percussion)
duration : 80′
The MegaOctet and Les Percussions de Strasbourg are two entities aiming at transversality in terms of writing and they question, each in their own way, the contemporary musical language. Andy Emler had the opportunity to meet the Percussions at the Festival Musica de Strasbourg, when he was presenting works written for the Ars Nova ensemble.
A mutual desire to work together was born, an opportunity had to be found. Andy Emler’s residencies at L’apostrophe, scène nationale de Cergy-Pontoise and that of the Percussions de Strasbourg at Royaumont Abbey, two venues for art and culture in the Val d’Oise, made this possible. Finally.
The Banlieues Bleues festival and the city of Gonesse offer them the opportunity to create an ambitious musical work, commensurate with these two outstanding ensembles, which will be performed at L’apostrophe. And elsewhere.
Original scores by Andy Emler, whose refined and jubilant art is known to shake up aesthetics, and a piece of “quotations” in homage to Frank Zappa will be the backbone of this creation where the flying soloists of the MegaOctet will meet the alchemists of timbres that are the instrumentalists of the Percussions.
A rare and astonishing encounter of today’s music, placed under the sign of artistic demands and the pleasure of playing and giving. To make people hear that emotion is as much a matter of reflection as of sensitivity.