Tuesday 29 April
20:00 | Théâtre Francis Gag
Many Many Oboes
NUNC STANS
DURATION
75 Minutes
CONCERT
Ensemble of 5 oboists
Step into a world of extraordinary sonic diversity, where the extended family of oboes reveals its full depth and richness. Imagine the captivating dialogue between the powerful lupophone and the delicate musette, or the enchanting nuances of the English horn and the baritone oboe. These instruments, as intriguing as they are under appreciated, unveil a surprising palette of timbres, offering an unparalleled musical experience. Discover sounds that transcend the ordinary, and let yourself be carried away by harmonies that are both subtle and bold.
THE INAUGURAL CONCERT OF NIMFA
To open the first edition of the Nice International Music Festival and Academy, this exceptional concert invites you on a unique sonic and scenic journey. It offers music lovers and curious minds the opportunity to explore unprecedented and timeless sounds.
Following the COMING TOGETHER concert series, which reflected on global challenges during the pandemic, NUNC STANS by the ensemble Many Many Oboes immerses its audience in the stillness of the present—a quest for a suspended eternity. The program delves into themes of time, eternity, nature, peace, and the chaos that defines our era. Through works that intertwine contemporary art, philosophy, and narrative immersion, subtle references to Baroque music and poetry enrich the listening experience.
This concert goes far beyond a simple musical performance: it is an immersion into a vibrant, contemporary, and profoundly human culture. Each piece and every breath of the instruments invite the audience to transcend the ordinary, entering a realm where reflection, dialogue, and artistic boldness merge into an unforgettable sensory and intellectual experience.
A must-see event to be experienced fully and shared without hesitation.
PROGRAMME
Alireza Farhang, Hisss! (2024)
Xavier Dayer, Seule, une vague for 2 English horns and 3 oboes (2022)
Tobias Krebs, KAR for 3 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, and 5 water bowls (2022)
Heinz Holliger, Étude d’accords (1971), version for 5 oboes (2020)
INTERMISSION
Matthias Arter, Klangkugel for musette, oboe, English horn, and 2 lupophones (2020)
Farzia Fallah, New Work (2024)
Eleni Ralli, Five Small Double Reed Encounters (2024)
MANY MANY OBOES
The unconventional quintet Many Many Oboes is dedicated to exploring the expressive richness of the oboe. The musicians perform on seven different instruments from the oboe family: the musette, oboe, oboe d’amore, English horn, baritone oboe, lupophone, and baroque oboe. The center piece of Many Many Oboes’ repertoire is undoubtedly the first original work written for this ensemble, Discours III by Vinko Globokar. Adaptations of existing works are also a significant part of their program. In collaboration with Heinz Holliger, the quintet musicians created a version of his famous study on multiphonics arranged for quintet and perform Bruno Maderna’s oboe solo in a "a 5" version.
Additionally, composers such as Barblina Meierhans, Xavier Dayer, Farzia Fallah, Tobias Krebs, Ariadna Alsina Tarres, Matthias Arter, Eleni Ralli, Alireza Farhang, and Daniel Glaus have enriched the quintet's repertoire with new works.
After the success of their first concert at the Lucerne Festival in 2019, the quintet has been invited to perform at Les Jardins Musicaux Festival in Cernier, Contrechamps Geneva, the Gare du Nord in Basel, the Musikpodium of Zurich, and Les Caves du Manoir in Martigny. A significant portion of the ensemble's repertoire has been broadcast live by SRF radio.