Practical
Cantigas de Santa Maria is one of the largest song collections from the Middle-Ages, with a total of 427 songs. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the collection alternates poems narrating stories of miracles and praising Hymns. The overall work, written in vernacular language (Galaico-Portugues) is oscillating between Courtly love tellings and Liturgy. Besides its literary and musical legacy, this work can also be read as a chronicle of both cultural and mystical life in Europe during the 13th century and reveals the blurred line between Sacred and Folklore.
The project plays with different scales of time: geological, historical, musical and human. In constant evolution, the performance consist of a succession and/or superposition of repetitive tasks addressing the different aspects of the songbook : musical, poetic, iconographic, historic…
Bios
Clara Lévy is a French violinist and improviser, whose career is mainly focused on what is commonly called « new music » For the past few years, she has been developing solo projects, questioning in turn the conditions of listening and the dramaturgy of the concert (OutreNuit), or the sometimes blurred edges between interpretation and composition (13 Visions). She regularly collaborates with European ensembles such as HanatsuMiroir, Ictus, Contemporary Insights, Ensemble Nemo, Ensemble 21 as well as the following composers: Erika Vega, Eva-Maria Houben, Clara de Asis, Jurg Frey, Karl Naegelen, Kaija Saariaho, Szymon Brzoska, Klaus Lang... Passionate about contemporary dance and performance, she performs on stage with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Sutra) and works with choreographers such as Vera Tussing, Jan Rohwedder. She performs regularly in Belgium (Senghor, Kaaistudio, Théâtre de la Monnaie, Flagey, Kanal, in Brussels; De Bijloke, Miry Concertzaal in Gent; Vrijstaat. O in Ostend, Antwerp Cathedral...) and abroad (OzAsia Festival - Australia, Café-Oto - London, Lille Opera, Philharmonie du Luxembourg, Bayreuth Festival, Xornadas de Musica Contemporanea - Santiago de Compostella, Strasbourg Opera)... www.clara-levy.com
Victor Guaita Igual, viola, completed his studies under Paul de Clerck at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel (2014). He founded and devoted himself to Zerkalo Quartet, working with composers such as Hosokawa, Posadas and Sciarrino, and obtained a second master degree in string quartet at the MusikHochschule of Hannover in 2019. Victor has collaborated with contemporary music ensembles such as Ensemble Modern, Ictus and Divertimento and is currently exploring the ritual of solo recital, researching multidisciplinary interactions (Gray, 2020; Garden, 2021), and questioning the format of performative spaces (Tarot Readings, 2020; Prologue: They were here first, 2021). Recently he has created ĂŹ ĂŽ, a duo together with aulos player Lukas de Clerck. victorguaita.com
Credits & Organization
Concept : Clara Levy
Created by: Victor Guaita, Charlie Usher, Clara Levy
Performed by: Victor Guaita, Clara Levy
Part of Towards a Ruined Theater, organized by Pilar x VUB Crosstalks, in collaboration with Kaaitheater as part of A Series of More-Than-Human Encounters.
The world needs you
This initiative is part of the public programme of VUB: a programme for everyone who believes that scientific knowledge sharing, critical thinking and dialogue are an important first step to create impact in the world.
As an Urban Engaged University, VUB aims to be a driver of change in the world. With our academic edcuational programmes and innovative research, we contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and to making a difference locally and globally.