Jacob Obrecht, son of an urban trumpeter from Ghent, was a highly innovating composer – especially on the level of harmonization. Urban composer Dick van der Harst edits his music now for a new production.

Next performance: February 19th, 2009 at Begijnhofkerk, Sint-Truiden.

Jacob Obrecht (1457-1505) was the son of an urban trumpeter from Ghent. As a bandmaster, he was active in Bruges, Antwerp, Paris and the Italian Ferrara where he eventually died. He is considered to be one of the prominent representatives of the Flemish polyphony of the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. He also was very innovating, especially on the level of harmonization. Urban composer Dick van der Harst (Ghent) edits his music now for a new production.

He is on the one hand inspired by the musical and textual features of Obrecht’s Masses, motets and chansons, and on the other hand by the Indonesian traditional music, characterized by the Gamelan. The Gamelan (a music style as well as a collective term for instruments) is considered to be one of the most developed forms in the world. Big bronze gongs, percussion, archaic texts and polyphonic compositions add to this remarkable sound. Gamelan plays an important role on the daily life in Java and Bali: dance and theatre, baptism, weddings, funerals and ceremonies of all kinds are often accompanied by the Gamelon.

The result is a twofold source of inspiration: a concert which refers to ancient rituals (Masses and Javanese religious systems). Music which lends a new style to the typical qualities of her source of inspiration: three singers, lutes, viol and viola da gamba ensure a Renaissance sound which intertwines with the bronze gongs, xylophone and percussion. Van der Harst uses Gamelan-sounds to add an extra dimension to Obrecht’s well-known cantus firmus procedure (extended harmonization of existing melodies). Reference to the “alta capella”, characteristic of the medieval Masses, is also made: powerful brass players, clarinet, saxophone, bass clarinet and the tible and tenora (often used by Van der Harst).

The audience becomes a member of the unconstrained and very intriguing musical ritual.

Johan Van Acker (Music centre Bijloke) as well as Tobias Kokkelmans (by order of the International Festival of Flanders Ghent) had a conversation with Dick van der Harst about his coming creation.