Het Collectief

The Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen’s boundless fascination with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Fourteen Canons inspired him to write Schnee. In this delicate piece, tailor-made for Het Collectief, Abrahamsen incorporates Bach’s music into a distinctly wintry soundscape. You can almost hear footsteps crunching through fresh powder, the build-up of a blizzard, but also moments of tranquil winter melancholy. Using minimalist means, Abrahamsen creates an impressive wealth of nuances and shades. Gerhard Richter’s paintings likewise explore the apparent simplicity and infinite variations of ‘white’. Video artist Klaas Verpoest engages with the latter’s oeuvre to create a visual, snowy landscape that resonates with Abrahamsen’s music. 

The concert is preceded by a lecture that takes place at 7pm in Hall M. Michel Lambert, pianist and teacher, offers the audience a well-reasoned, visual and aural introduction to the secrets of this masterful score. He also explores the ethereal and personal style of composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir, in preparation for the concert that follows. This encounter will be in French.