Ritual I

Please sit down or lie down, close your eyes and switch off. The first Ritual will begin with music at the limit of audibility and end with the sound of an instrument that may never have existed.

In the first Ritual we put together two instruments that did not exist until recently. Aeneas Kubit is the originator of the first quarter-tone accordion in Poland, which also allows playing between semitones. Lukas de Clerck designed the telescopic aulos — a modern answer to an ancient instrument that disappeared from use more than a thousand years ago. One expands on what is known, the other arises from shreds of knowledge about the past. Both open the music to microtones, rumbling and non-obvious timbres.

We will start in total darkness with the premiere of Please, sit comfortably or lie down. Close your eyes and switch off. You can fall asleep, everything will be fine. Artur Zagajewski. The track will remain very quiet at all times. The accordion will be played at close range — not to sound powerful, but to bring to the audience the tiniest vibrations, noises and sounds of both sides of the instrument. Take the title literally: sit down or lie down, close your eyes, switch off, or even fall asleep. Everything will be fine.

The intervention of Jakub Ziółkowski will lead us out of the darkness, followed by a telescopic aulos acoustically. De Clerck played reconstructions of old instruments for years and made reeds on his own until he decided to free the aulos from the obligation to faithfully recreate the past. His instrument has no finger holes, and the height of two simultaneously sounding pipes is changed by their telescopic extension. The reeds behave like two oscillators, producing microtonal friction, rumbling and dense drones. In Krakow, de Clerck will pick up excerpts from the album The Telescopic Aulos of Atlas and present completely new material.

The First Ritual does not, therefore, lead from the present to antiquity. It brings together two modern inventions and two ways to go deeper into sound to play music that was previously unheard.

The concert is co-organised by Cricoteka.

It was realized as part of a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

Availability:

The event will last about 65-70 minutes and will take place without interruption. Two performances will be joined by a ten-minute intervention by Jakub Ziółkowski.

Artur Zagajewski's piece will last 25-30 minutes and will be performed in complete darkness. The music will be very quiet. The audience can sit or lie on the carpet, cushions and poufs. Several chairs will also be available for people who cannot use the floor or low seats.

After the first part, the total darkness will end. The performance of Lucas de Clerck will last about 30 minutes and will take place acoustically, without sound system.

You can leave the event at any time, but there will be no possibility to re-enter the hall.