Eliane Radigue at Christ Church in Philadelphia
This was a pretty fantastic show. The space was brick with high windows. kind of monolithic. A single light on a stand, the only thing that illuminated the area. The piece was played like a triptych. The first section, cello only, the second, the two basset horns, the third, the trio. Sounds emerged from the silence as if the already existed there, deep down, and suddenly someone just turned them up, or cast a light on them. The overall volume never exceeding comfortably audible, but very often, nearly inaudible. There was a very Wandelweisser-esque feeling about the piece and the way it was played. Almost like an improvisation limited to a very small range of possibilities. The performers played impeccably, the control over even the slightest aspect of the sound seemed absolute. There was a feeling that you were witnessing a performance of the highest quality. This produced a kind of calm and comfort at being focused away from the players, and solely to the sound, that really made the piece take form. A really great evening of music.
