«Leçons de ténèbres» – review
The first review is by Maren Ørstavik in Aftenposten, covering the premiere of Leçons de ténèbres:
«The cultural sphere speaks loudly about Gaza. Some aspects of the conflict are easy to take a stand on through benefit concerts and petitions—like the number of dead children and the obstruction of humanitarian aid. The humanitarian catastrophe cannot be ignored, no matter one’s stance on the conflict itself. To delve deeper, using artistic expression, is challenging. Eivind Buene accomplishes this with respect, sensitivity, and beauty.»
«Much of the piece is wordless and comes across as musically abstract, beautifully performed by the quartet Song Circus and viol player André Lislevand. Occasionally, this is interrupted by recorded texts over the loudspeakers, recounting specific, brutal stories from the ground: mothers blown apart, occupiers urinating on the occupied.»
«Following Couperin’s tradition, the candles surrounding the performers are extinguished one by one throughout the work, until the room is completely dark at the end.»
«All of this constitutes powerful elements. The contrasts are immense—the shifting perspectives between Israelis and Palestinians, between past and present, between beauty and violence, between light and darkness. Buene makes it all work, with strong support from the performers.»
«The vocal lines are tight; the four women of Song Circus often sing almost the same notes, separated only by a half or whole tone in tense clusters. Harmonies are rare, even though each individual voice is pure and beautiful on its own. The quartet’s cohesion, combined with Lislevand’s emotional engagement, made it compelling to follow the musical narrative itself, even if it wasn’t always clear which words or perspectives were being illustrated at any given moment.»
