Ballet Mécanique

Utrecht ensemble Insomnio turns 20 this year and gives the final concert of the Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2017. During the 1920’s George Antheil was a member of the movement De Stijl for a short period. During that time he wrote his iconic composition Ballet Mécanique, a unique work in which player pianos and sirens represent the mechanized world and percussionists provide the human counterpart. From De Stijl it is not a long way to other social and cultural movements from that period such as dadaïsm and futurism. And this is precisely where our artist in residence Jerzy Bielski gets his ideas from, without ignoring the achievements of jazz, rock and contemporary music. Tonight you will hear the first short work of a large-scale musical theatre project that will premier in 2019.

Following the Festival’s final concert, the Gaudeamus Award 2017 will be presented to one of the five nominated music pioneers. Since 1957 the organization has been conferring the Gaudeamus Award on a talented up-and-coming composer. Gaudeamus offers young music pioneers a platform and a place in which to develop, and has for years now proved to be a springboard for the career of many composers.

The presentation of this internationally renowned award provides the Festival with a memorable finale.

Download here the handout for this concert.

Photo © Klaus Rudolph