James Weeks: Mala Punica Exaudi & James Weeks

• James Weeks (1978): Walled Garden I - Mala Punica:
• 1 Quae Est Ista 11:40
• Mala Punica:
• 2 Ego Flos Campi 02:08
• 3 Ficus Protulit 03:32
• 4 Hortus Conclusus - Walled Garden II - Veni in Hortum Meum 17:29
• 5 Dilectus Meus 02:58
• 6 Descendi 06:36
• 7 Donec Aspiret Dies - Walled Garden III 10:04
• Total Runtime 54:27

Info zu James Weeks: Mala Punica

Das Lied der Lieder hat seine Wurzeln in ägyptischer und mesopotamischer Liebeslyrik und dortigen Fruchtbarkeitsriten. In der antiken Literatur stellt es den großartigsten Lobgesang auf die menschliche Liebe dar. Seine Verse erzählen von der Liebe einer Frau für einen Mann, im steten Wechseln zwischen Liebhaber und Geliebten in einem Mosaik schillernder, rätselhafter Bildsprache, das uns aufgrund seiner Weiterführung in der jüdisch-christlichen religiösen Tradition und einem Jahrtausend europäischer Musik vertraut ist. Eine heutige neue Lesart dieses Liedes als Literatur scheint seine Schärfe und Extremität nur noch stärker zu betonen: der unerschöpfliche, verschwenderische Reichtum an Metaphern und die Struktur aus einzelnen Elementen lassen es vollkommen modern erscheinen.

Mala punica ist eine Gruppe aus acht kanonischen Stücken für acht Stimmen mit Texten aus dem Lied der Lieder. Die Serie begann mit einem einzelnen Gelegenheitsstück (Descendi), aber während der Textauswahl für dieses Stück begannen mich die fremdartige Klarheit des Liedes, seine geheimnisvolle Ordnung, das Zusammenspiel der Männer- und Frauenstimmen, die Echos und Symmetrien in dem Gedicht in ihren Bann zu ziehen und reizten mich zu weiterem Nachforschen.

In Descendi hatte ich mich für eine Kanonform entschieden (wobei eine Melodielinie sich in den verschiedenen Stimmen folgt und verfolgt, wie bei einem Rundgesang), vornehmlich als ein Abbild des beginnenden natürlichen Wachstums und der aufkeimenden Erregung. Bei der Planung des Gesamtwerks stellte ich dann fest, dass diese Technik sich nicht nur hervorragend als Symbol des Wachstums und nützliche „gegebene“ Tatsache eignete, sondern auch den notwendigen Widerstand und eine Spannung für das musikalische Werk bieten würde, eine Disziplin, die ihrerseits die Kraft der Musik noch erhöhen könnte. ….

Exaudi (Mala Punica)
Hortus Ensemble (Walled Garden)
James Weeks, Dirigent

EXAUDI
is one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles for new music. Founded by James Weeks (director) and Juliet Fraser (soprano) in 2002, EXAUDI is based in London and draws its singers from among the UK’s brightest vocal talents.

EXAUDI’s special affinity is for the radical edges of contemporary music, at home equally with maximal complexity, microtonality and experimental aesthetics. The newest new music is at the heart of its repertoire, and it has given national and world premières of Sciarrino, Rihm, Finnissy, Fox, Posadas, Oesterle, Crane, Eötvös, Ferneyhough, Gervasoni, Skempton, Ayres, Pesson, Poppe, Mažulis and Fox among many others. Through its commissioning scheme, EXAUDI is particularly committed to the music of its own generation, and is proud to champion the work of significant voices including Aaron Cassidy, Evan Johnson, Bryn Harrison, Amber Priestley, Matthew Shlomowitz, Joanna Bailie, Cassandra Miller, Andrew Hamilton, James Weeks and Claudia Molitor.

EXAUDI is also strongly involved with the emerging generation of young composers, and regularly takes part in composer development schemes and residencies such as SaM Portfolio, Voix Nouvelles Royaumont, IRCAM Manifeste Academie and Aldeburgh composer residencies, as well as workshops at universities and conservatoires throughout the UK. EXAUDI has particularly strong links with the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and City, University of London, where it is an Ensemble in Residence.

EXAUDI’s many international engagements include Wittener Tage, Darmstadter Ferienkurse, Musica Viva (Munich), Muziekgebouw (Amsterdam), IRCAM (Paris), Festival d’Automne (Paris), Voix Nouvelles (Royaumont), Pharos (Cyprus), Musica (Strasbourg), MAfestival (Bruges), CDMC (Madrid), MITO Settembre (Milan/Turin), Fundaciò BBVA (Bilbao) and Quincena Musical (San Sebastiàn). The ensemble has also collaborated with many leading ensembles including musikFabrik, Ensemble Modern, L’Instant Donné, London Sinfonietta, BCMG, Talea (NY) and Ensemble InterContemporain.

EXAUDI has appeared at many leading UK venues and festivals, including Spitalfields, BBC Proms, Aldeburgh, City of London, Bath, FuseLeeds, Manchester International Festival and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festivals, Wigmore Hall, Café OTO, Kings Place and South Bank. EXAUDI broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio 3 and European radio stations, and has released eleven critically acclaimed recordings on the NMC, ÆON, Métier, Winter&Winter, Mode, Confront and HCR labels. Their recent recordings of James Weeks’ Mala punica/Walled Garden, Gérard Pesson’s Cantate = Pays and Michael Finnissy’s Cipriano, Tom Fool’s Wooing, Kelir and Gesualdo: Libro Sesto will be released in 2017-18.

Future projects for 2017 include Stefan Winter’s multimedia performance installation Poem of a Cell (San Sebastiàn and Munich), Chromatic Renaissance (Vicentino, Rore, Lassus and Weeks) at Aldeburgh Festival, Posadas Tenebrae with Ensemble InterContemporain (Paris) and Laurence Crane’s Pieces About Art at the PRSF Biennial (London and Hull).

On 1st April 2017 EXAUDI celebrates its 15th birthday at Wigmore Hall with a programme of Arcadelt, Weeks, Monteverdi, Wert and Sciarrino.

James Weeks
Born in Blackburn in 1978, James Weeks read Music at Cambridge before completing a PhD in Composition at Southampton University with Michael Finnissy. His music has been commissioned and performed by leading performers including Alison Balsom, EXAUDI, Darragh Morgan and Mary Dullea, Endymion, Anton Lukoszevieze and Christopher Redgate. He has been featured at UK and European festivals including City of London, Spitalfields, Vale of Glamorgan and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festivals, Soundwaves Brighton, Cutting Edge (London), Gaudeamus (Amsterdam), Weimarer Frühjahrstage and Mafra (Portugal).

Recent major works include the Harmonies of South London series (for various ensembles, 2008 -), Burnham Air (for oboe d'amore, 2008), Hototogisu (for children's choir, 2007) and Mala punica (for eight solo voices, 2008-9). He is currently writing a substantial work for voices and instruments entitled Parnassus, and a triptych of pieces with electronics for Apartment House.

As a conductor, he is best known for his work with the contemporary specialists EXAUDI, the vocal ensemble he founded with the soprano Juliet Fraser in 2002. With them he maintains a busy international touring schedule, collaborating regularly with the world's leading composers, new music soloists and ensembles, and has released four acclaimed CDs on NMC, of Finnissy, Fox, Lutyens and Skempton. The ensemble specialises in the most complex new and experimental music, often presented alongside repertoire from the Renaissance or early baroque.

He was appointed Musical Director of the New London Chamber Choir in 2007 in succession to James Wood, and is in great demand as a guest conductor, choral animateur and tutor. He is also active as an organ recitalist, pianist and writer on contemporary music, and broadcasts regularly on early and new music for BBC Radio 3.

Booklet für James Weeks: Mala Punica