Banshee + Basse Brevis

Description

Banshee is an ear strained towards the edges of the ancient world, where these endless fine lands are carved and fractalized into coasts, ports, fjords, peninsulas, and archipelagos. Drawing its raw material from recordings made in the Inner Hebrides, Banshee closely weaves a tapestry where the sonic avatars of fauna, flora, and climate merge with the human presence, its tools, and its culture. Thus, a small boat cutting through a loch becomes the voice of the mountains and the wild, and the howling wind over the moorlands becomes the wail of a Banshee, heralding death, a messenger from the Otherworld. Commissioned by Radio France and INA GRM, Canadian composer Sarah Davachi's Basse Brevis premiered at the Présences 2024 festival, dedicated to Steve Reich. Drawing inspiration from her own minimalist approach, Sarah Davachi meticulously explores the intricate weaves and complex relationships between the timbral, spatial, and temporal components of music. Through developments that unfold over time, the composer succeeds in creating music that is extremely precise, subtle, and vibrant.