Ensemble Eunoia
quintette
© Michael Fritschi
In concert
J'ai tendu des cordes de clocher à clocher - 03.25 8:Performer website
www.en.eunoiaquintett.comWe are five young musicians dedicated to and specialised in the performance of contemporary music.
Our instrumentation sets us apart from other ensembles. It is unusual and, in a sense, complete, with one instrument from every instrumental family: soprano, trombone, cello, percussion and piano. The single representation of different sound groups led us to the name eunoia, the shortest word in the English language to use all five vowels only once. It means ‘healthy mind’ or ‘beautiful thinking’.
We are a commissioning ensemble. For us, commissioning a score is not a passive act; it means creative involvement. The music we perform has been composed for us; it is ‘our music’, written to our strengths and tastes. Our aim is to project this sense of originality and personality to the audience in
The instrumentation and our interests lead us to combine music, movement and texts. Distinct physical movements are inherent to each instrument. The contrast between striking, bowing, plucking, blowing and their parameters (up-down, left-right, inwards-outwards, towards-away) offers many musical and visual possibilities that contrast strongly with, for example, the parallel right-left bowed motion of a string quartet or the corporal breath of a choir. When these movements become conscious or choreographed, a physicality is brought to the fore. Literature is crucial to our artistic understanding. The presence of a soprano allows us to integrate text naturally. Together, movement, action and text open a theatrical domain.
We want to convey our fascination with new music, explore how we perform and question the sensation of experiencing music as a performance.