We are going to go with yet another unusual instrument in the modern repertoire – how about the bagpipes? Erwan Keravec is going to perform works by Goebbels, Glass and Radigue in various parts of the Main Market Square, signalling to the city that the Sacrum Profanum festival has started. Each composition focuses on a different aspect of the bagpipes – the traditional context of bagpipe playing while marching, the dynamics and rhythms, as well as long drones and meditative nature of the instrument.
The French musician is a Scottish bagpipe virtuoso, interested in both traditional and contemporary music, including improvised pieces. At Sacrum Profanum, he will perform Philip Glass’ famous Two Pages, which is ideally suited for transposition to bagpipes in spite of being originally composed for the piano – the artist does that by exploiting the instrument’s unique articulation characteristics.
The other two pieces contrast with each other. Éliane Radigue wanted to tame the bagpipes and show their delicate, perhaps previously unknown side, discovering entirely new sonic qualities. On the other hand, Heiner Goebbels’ N°20/58 is a piece characteristic of this artist, studying the musician’s presence on stage and the impact of circumstances on the reception of the work. He created a composition for a bagpipe player on the move designed to be performed outdoors to exploit the natural potential of the instrument. Keravec is going to perform in the Main Market Square – like a bugler officially and artistically announcing that the Festival has started for all the Cracovians to enjoy!
The extensive use of multimedia in a programme combining music and reflections on modernity – the challenges faced by the contemporary man, telling apart truth and lies, as well as ugliness in an overly aesthetic reality – will mark the performance of Duo van Vliet, presenting pieces by some of the most interesting Polish composers of the younger generation, including Szpyrka, Malinowski and Zapała.
The current line–up of Duo van Vliet comprises accordionist Rafał Łuc and violist Rafał Zalech. The band is named after the late Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart – one of the doyens of avantgarde rock. The duo aims to explore its own limits and expand its repertoire for both instruments. The concert programme includes works by some of the most interesting Polish artists of the younger generation: Monika Szpyrka, Paweł Malinowski and Rafał Zapała, juxtaposed with James Black’s composition. All of them make extensive use of media and performative elements in addition to extended instrumental parts. The concert programme combines reflections on the modern world with music – oneiric and dreamlike at times, then going straight to precision, filled with beautiful harmonies, performance elements, ASMR and plunderphonics – citations and excepts from other works.
5:00 p.m.
Heiner Goebbels – N°20/58 (2018) 14′ [Polish première]
Philip Glass – Two Pages (1968) 14′
Éliane Radigue – OCCAM OCEAN XVII (2019) 20′[Polish première]
Erwan Keravec – bagpipes
Venue: Market Square
6:30 p.m.
Paweł Malinowski – And it rose and it fell and pulsed like a wave for accordion, viola, electronics and video (2020) 13′
Monika Szpyrka – Unhelpful Thinking Styles for accordion, viola, audio playback and light projection (2020) 15'
Rafał Zapała – USŁUG for accordion, viola and media (2020) 10′
James Black – HEL for accordion, viola and video (2022) 12′
Duo van Vliet:
Rafał Łuc – accordion
Rafał Zalech – viola
Venue: secret location
