Reflection

Interdisciplinary Staged Performance for Solo Cello

New compositions from:

Annie Aries, Carolyn Chen, inti figgis-vizueta, Jenny Hettne, Ezko Kikoutchi, Naomi Pinnock, Michelle Agnes Magalhães, Gemma Ragués Pujol, Svetlana Maraš , and Agata Zubel

Reflection is a feminist statement - a response to the Sacher Variations for solo cello of 1976 and a contra to the patriarchal legacy of the 20th Century. Reflection connects new compositions for solo cello into a dynamic, interdisciplinary performance. It explores the musical possibilities of cello and performer with amplified live electronics, video projection, physical performance and spoken word.

In 1976, Mistislav Rostropovich commissioned a cycle of works for solo cello - the ”Sacher Variations“ - for Paul Sacher‘s 70th birthday. These works form a cross-section of the compositional time. Reflection is a new cycle of cello works for a new century and highlights the changes in society, culture, and contemporary music fifty years later. It is a curational statement opposed to the gender exclusivity of the 20th Century with commissions for female, transgender, non-binary, or a gender composers from a diverse international base.

Reflection is a contrast of compositional and performance practice and celebrates the multitude of sounds, styles and techniques present in the 21st Century. The intense collaborative work between the composers and cellist Benjamin Coyte, the use of electronics and visual media, as well as the staged, performative concept all represent the contemporary practice of today.