May 2007
World premiere of "Mask"
MusikFabrik
MusikFabrik and the ASKO Ensemble performed the European premieres of Mask, a new work for ensemble and soundtrack. The work was commissioned by Kunststiftung NRW, Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst and Casa da Música, Porto.
In Mask, musical layers are covered and revealed. Overtone ‘masks’ in the soundtrack transform the colour of the notes in the instrumental ensemble, shifting the sound texture. The musical layers within the ensemble and soundtrack overlap one another; sudden interruptions rip a hole in the texture, revealing previously concealed layers.
MusikFabrik gave a successful first performance at Broadcasting Hall in Cologne on Feb. 11. Additional performances of Mask included the Ars Musica Festival in Brussels (musikFabrik) and the Netherlands premiere (ASKO Ensemble). Future performances include the Venice Biennale in October (musikFabrik) and the Portugese premiere (Remix ensemble) in June 2008.
Sol Gabetta, cello. Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Candida Thompson. Vakil Eelman.