Asko|Schönberg presents The State and reflections on it

i.c.w. Gaudeamus Festival, Musica festival Strasbourg and Ensemble Klang, 4 Sep to 25 Nov

Asko|Schönberg opens the coming season with The State, a programme featuring and revolving around Louis Andriessen's iconic masterpiece of the same name. This politically charged work is paired with a brand new composition by Oscar Bettison, who once studied with Andriessen and is our Composer in Residence this season. A series of short reflections on both composition and the phenomenon of 'the state' by composers from different countries completes the programme.

Louis Andriessen

Andriessen shows in The State (1976), his personal blend of jazz, avant-garde and minimal music, two ensembles with equal instrumentation compete against each other, building up tremendous tension.
The premiere was controversial at the time. Andriessen wrote the piece as a contribution to the discussion on the place of music in politics, a theme that is also topical today. This combined with the unusual scoring, the piece caused a stir.

Oscar Bettison

Bettison writes his piece for the same cast as The State, a mirror composition but with a very different atmosphere and that is what Andriessen would have wanted. 'See it as your job to make something new sound' was the assignment Bettison was once given by his teacher Andriessen. In On the slow weather of dreamshe reflects on the phenomenon of 'the state', which he sees as a society in which we create our own reality with our choices of news media, viewing and listening habits. He lets this resonate in his music and lyrics.

Reflections from composers and writers

Nineteen composers and writers from home and abroad (including Moor Mother, Dmitri Kourlikandsli, Babs Gons and Johannes Kreidler) were asked to create a short work with a personal reflection on the phenomenon of 'the state' and/or Andriessen's composition. This can be political, philosophical, abstract, literary, aural, visual, etc. in nature. The works will be performed and exhibited at performances at the Gaudeamus Festival, the Muziekgebouw and Musica Strasbourg. More on this soon.

Þ The State - Asko Schoenberg (askoschoenberg.nl)
Wed Sep 4, Utrecht - Gaudeamus Festival
Thu 12 Sep, Amsterdam - Muziekgebouw
Fri Sep 20, Strasbourg - Musica festival
Wed 13 Nov, Den Bosch - November Music (concert only)
Sun Nov 24, The Hague - Amare (concert only)
Mon Nov 25, Groningen - Sounds of Music (concert only)