Short Description
Support
Movements
Goethe Textfragments
Detailed Description
BILLOW – A Fusion of Contemporary Classical Music and
Experimental Electronica
Legacy and Evolution of Sound
Project Concept and Origins
An Allegory for Modern Times
Performance Highlights
Video Playlist
Technical Rider concert version
Technical Rider theatrical version
Short Description
The Danish ensemble Contemporánea presents BILLOW, a fusion of contemporary classical music and experimental electronica. Music and video are performed live on stage by clarinettist Fritz Gerhard Berthelsen and composer Ejnar Kanding. You ride on a growing wave from the enchantment of the spell and a dramatic moment of the broom being cleaved by the axe to a hedonistic denial of exploring crisis, exponential growth through three stages of increasing ecstasy and chaos before the billow finally breaks through. Does only the desolate emptiness remain?
BILLOW is a 47-minute, nine-movement performance for clarinet (Bb, G, Bass), live electronics processed through MaxMSP, and immersive video created by Simon Janssen, Hamburg. It unfolds with poetic fragments from Goethe’s Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). The themes of ambition, chaos, and loss of control lend a narrative dimension, while the music and visuals create an abstract, otherworldly experience. Yet, even without knowledge of Goethe or the work’s origins, the performance invites audiences to experience and interpret the journey individually.
Support
BILLOW is made possible through generous support from the Danish Arts Foundation, Goethe-Institut Dänemark, William Demant Fonden, Konsul George Jorck og Hustru Emma Jorck’s Fond, BUPL, Københavns Kommunes Musikudvalg, Solistforeningen af 1921 and Sonning-Fonden.
Movements
1) Silence
2) Enchanted
3) Lightning
4) Cleave
5) Breath
6) Shout
7) Increasing
8) The Wave
9) Subsequently
Goethe TextfragmentsMovement 1: SILENT
The aged sorcerer has departed,
leaving me alone, unguarded!
Movement 2: ENCHANTED
Flow now, water, swift and free,
bring your torrents here to me.
Pour in streams, abundant, grand,
fill the bath as I command!
Movement 3: LIGHTNING
Come, old broomstick, heed my call!
Fulfill my will, obey it all!
Alas, I see! Oh, woe, oh woe!
The word I’ve lost – the word I know!
The spell that turns you back to rest,
to what you were before possessed.
I’ll seize you now,
and swiftly cleave your wooden brow
with a sharp and heavy blow.
Movement 5: BREATH
Damp and damper grows the hall,
the stairs, the rooms – it soaks it all!
Movement 6: SHOUT
Master! Hear my desperate plea!
Come and end this misery!
Movement 7: INCREASING
The danger’s vast, I cannot win!
The spirits I called won’t return within.
Movement 9: SUBSEQUENTLY
For spirits come at the master’s call,
and heed only his purpose, his will – that’s all.
Detailed DescriptionBILLOW – A Fusion of Contemporary Classical Music and Experimental Electronica
The Danish ensemble Contemporánea unveils BILLOW, a groundbreaking 47-minute project that reimagines classical music through a fusion of contemporary composition and experimental electronica. It is a testament to the depth and adaptability of the classical tradition, seamlessly blending acoustic and electronic sounds into an immersive live performance. Drawing on the structure and rigour of classical music while integrating influences from 80’s funk, techno, and Balkan and Arabic rhythms, this work pushes the boundaries of New Music.
Legacy and Evolution of Sound
Founded in 1997 by clarinettist Fritz Gerhard Berthelsen and composer Ejnar Kanding, both classically trained musicians, Contemporánea has long been at the forefront of redefining classical performance through live electronics, establishing itself as a pioneering voice in Danish electronic music. From early innovations with the AKAI 3200XL sampler and Ensoniq DP4+ effects processor, the ensemble evolved into digital mastery using Cycling74’s MaxMSP software, amplifying the expressive range of live performance. This growth has brought them to prestigious venues and festivals worldwide, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Society of Contemporary Music, and the International Computer Music Conference.
Project Concept and Origins
BILLOW represents a unique venture in Contemporánea’s repertoire, primarily rooted in classical score music. Building on the ensemble’s exploration of blending classical and electronic elements, first explored in the 2008 project Auxiliary Blue with Berlin-based composer Frank Bretschneider, BILLOW takes this fusion further. This 47-minute, nine-movement performance for clarinet (Bb, G, Bass), immersive video projections, and live electronics processed through MaxMSP unfolds with poetic fragments from Goethe’s Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). The themes of ambition, chaos, and loss of control lend a narrative dimension, while the music and visuals create an abstract, otherworldly experience. Yet, even without knowledge of Goethe or the work’s origins, the immersive music and visuals invite audiences to experience and interpret the journey individually.
An Allegory for Modern Times
At its core, Sturmwelle is a profound exploration of humanity’s precarious balance with power and nature. Using Der Zauberlehrling as an allegory, the performance mirrors the relentless drive of human ambition and its unintended consequences. As the music reaches a peak of chaotic intensity, it gradually fades into stillness, leaving audiences with a haunting question: does only desolate emptiness remain, or is there a fleeting chance for renewal?
Performance Highlights
1) Classical and Contemporary Fusion: Ejnar Kanding’s compositions, paired with visuals by Hamburg-based video artist Simon Janssen, evoke the grandeur of classical music with clarinettist Fritz Gerhard Berthelsen and the vibrancy of modern electronic sound.
2) Nine Movements: Each movement corresponds to key moments in Der Zauberlehrling, from SILENT (the old sorcerer departs) to THE WAVE (the climactic chaos).
3) A Sensory Experience: Live sound manipulation, real-time electronics, video, and poetic text fragments create an intense, immersive journey, offering a vivid metaphor for the hedonistic evasion of an inevitable collapse.
Video Playlist
TECHNICAL RIDER: BILLOW – concert version
SOUND SYSTEM: Stereo amplification system with subwoofers: The venue must provide a high-quality stereo sound system suitable for live performance, including subwoofers for bass support.
LIGHTNING: 1–2 spotlights: These should be positioned to cover the placement of the performer on stage.
VIDEO PROJECTION
1) Video screen: The venue needs to provide a large video screen with a 16:9 ratio, about 500 cm x 237 cm in size.
2) Video projector: The venue should also provide a projector to display visuals on this screen.
3) HDMI cable: The performer will connect a MacBook Pro to the projector via HDMI, so this cable must be available.
EQUIPMENT brought by Contemporánea
1) Three clarinets
2) Microphones and cordless systems: All necessary microphones and wireless systems for the performance will be supplied by the performers.
3) MacBook Pro: This will be used for live audio and video processing, running MaxMSP and Ableton Live software.
4) Allen & Heath CQ18T: This is the audio interface that will be used for connecting the performers’ audio signals to the venue’s sound system (FOH).
In summary, the venue is responsible for providing the sound system, spotlights, video screen, projector, and HDMI cable, while the performers will bring their instruments, audio equipment, and software.
TECHNICAL RIDER: BILLOW – theatrical version
SOUND SYSTEM: Stereo amplification system with subwoofers: The venue needs to provide a high-quality stereo sound system, including subwoofers for bass support, suitable for live performance.
STAGE EQUIPMENT
1) Scaffolding (height approx. 2 meters): The performer will need to climb and stand on scaffolding, so a stable structure at this height must be provided.
2) Box (60 x 60 cm or similar): Another piece of equipment, like a sturdy box, must be placed on stage for the performer to stand on at a specific moment during the performance.
LIGHTNING: 2-3 spotlights: These should be positioned to cover three different placements of the performer on stage.
VIDEO PROJECTION
1) Video screen: The venue needs to provide a large video screen with a 16:9 ratio, about 500 cm x 237 cm in size.
2) Video projector: The venue should also provide a projector to display visuals on this screen.
3) HDMI cable: The performer will connect their MacBook Pro to the projector via HDMI, so this cable must be available.
EQUIPMENT brought by Contemporánea
1) Three clarinets
2) Microphones and cordless systems: All necessary microphones and wireless systems for the performance will be supplied by the performers.
3) MacBook Pro: This will be used for live audio and video processing, running MaxMSP and Ableton Live software.
4) Allen & Heath CQ18T: This is the audio interface that will be used for connecting the performers’ audio signals to the venue’s sound system.
In summary, the venue is responsible for providing the sound system, scaffolding, box, spotlights, video screen, projector, and HDMI cable, while the performers will bring their instruments, audio equipment, and software.