Music performed by Carillon Quartet Sound projection by David Aguila Staging created by director, Brian Carbine, and aLma.MaddR
Nah und Fern was born in the WDR (West German Radio) in 1993/1994 as Mauricio Kagel’s first hörspiel, or “radio drama,” without words. The piece was constructed from three pieces that had been composed within a span of the three years prior: Morceau de Concours, Fanfanfaren, and Melodien für Carillon. Out of these works and with the addition of field recordings of sounds from the city of Utecht (boats, cars, and even the steps of the carillon operator) Kagel created this aural play in the tradition of the hörspiel, which takes the listener through an exceptional and rather surrealjourney through a city landscape. The images that often come to mind are not unlike the scenes from his 1969 film Ludwig Van. The city sounds, so recognizable to any listener, interrupted by the anachronistic carillon bells, and being commented on by studio-like trumpet playing yields a peculiar atmosphere reminiscent of the bygone era of Borges.
Nah und Fern is the biggest contribution to the trumpet repertoire that the Carillon Quartet has thus far brought into fruition. The idea is to create a live version of Kagel’s hörspiel in order to introduce it to new audiences. It seems obvious that in the 21st century, radio no longer has the power it once enjoyed in the post-war era. Bringing Nah und Fern into a live context is a way to preserve it and reintroduce it to concertgoers. We present an imaginative, unique staging that gives insight into the many dimensions of Kagel’s fascinating work. With brilliant playback reconstruction by David Aguila, the trumpets of the Carillon Quartet, aLma.MaddR and director Brian Carbine, this piece is now being heard live for the first time since its première in 1994 in the city of Utecht.
Carillon Quartet: Nicolás Bejarano Isaza Lucas Lipari-Mayer Ethan Marks Cameron Kalemkarian
aLma.MaddR Anabel Romero Christina Ward David Aguila
