Under the title Blast from the Past, Ensemble SCALA explores compositions from its short but eventful history. The programme presents highlights from the repertoire that were specially written for the ensemble. Among these is Na (2013) by Gijsbrecht Roijé, in which, alongside subtle microtonal chords, surprising digital sounds are incorporated beneath the keyboard. In 3 pezzi molto simili (2014) by Lucio Garau, three essentially similar movements can be heard, in which he does not shy away from the effectiveness of tonality.
The composition In the Blink of an Eye (2015) by Danny de Graan, in which sounds of his newborn daughter have been electronically integrated, is more modernist in design, yet the precise form of the work demonstrates a contemporary sense of timing. The sometimes ‘swinging’ Gallium (2010/2011) by Sander Germanus tells the story of a slowly melting metal (the chemical element) with atomic number 31, referring to the 31-tone system used in the piece, where overtone sounds and unusual chord progressions occur frequently.
The relatively short work Unruh (2015) by Joachim F.W. Schneider centres on the ingenious mechanics of a clock, in which the unrest of the timepiece is remarkably regulated by a component called the Unruh, first expressed by a quirky rotating cymbal and later mirrored by the clever microtonal lines in the parts of the other instruments.
In short, this is a rich listening experience, a retrospective concert with a fresh touch, emphasising the past six eventful years of Ensemble SCALA.