Dangerous, compelling and wildly crafted sonic imaginations.
The contrabass solo ‘Table of Knowledge’, which gives this performance its title, refers to a section of the Medieval-inspired garden of the Cistercian Abbey of Royaumont visited by composer Liza Lim in 2010. Arrayed there were a number of psychotropic and poisonous plants including the typical ingredients of a hallucinogenic mixture known as witches’ flying ointment: datura, belladonna, henbane and cannabis. These plants are understood in various traditions in Europe and Asia as ‘pharmakon’ – both poison and remedy, where their potentially lethal toxic properties are employed for ritual and medicinal purposes!
The idea of dangerous, compelling and wildly crafted sonic imaginations continues throughout the concert programme – the potentials of the contrabass are especially explored and highlighted in unique ways. Richard Barrett’s ‘splinter’ is ferocious, unrelenting and demanding, by contrast Einar Torfi Einarsson’s graphic score is implosive and subterranean, and trios for percussion, harp and contrabass by Mary Bellamy and Dominik Karski present energised yet beguiling strange alternative folk musics.
The programme will feature high level contrabass performance from young virtuosi Kathryn Schulmeister and Rohan Dasika, joined by Marshall McGuire (harp) and Peter Neville (percussion).
Tickets – ELISION: The Melbourne Recital Centre 7:30 PM Saturday September 9