The synergy of the whole, the homogeneity of the singers and the exemplary clarity of the diction

The weekend of the contemporary - Royaumont
Steve Reich's "Know what is above you", for women's voices and two small drums, is as short as it is galvanizing. The two works of Steven Stucky (1949-2016) for mixed choir, written in an expressive vein and a rather consonant language, allow to appreciate the synergy of the whole, the homogeneity of the singers and the exemplary clarity of the diction. They precede the masterpiece awaited by Morton Feldman "Rothko Chapel" for which the centerpiece of the stage is the celesta held by Elisa Humanes. It is the violist of the Tana Quartet, Maxime Désert, who is in the garden, facing the percussion set of Hélène Colombotti. The reverberant acoustics of the premises are ideal for melting in the same space each intervention without altering its identity. The fragile balance of this tiny music is maintained with great delicacy by Leo Warynski. In phase with percussion, Maxime Désert's conducting alto is subtly balanced, in dynamics, color and vibrato, until the appearance of the Hebrew song which brings at the end of this strange ritual a new and surprising freshness. If "Rothko Chapel" was given several times in the previous months (including the Manifesto Festival), it is clear that the listening experience, renewed by space and performers, is always different and always rewarding.