At the Swiss premiere of Bryce Dessner's "St. Carolyn by the Sea", the composer himself will be on stage with his electric guitar.
The American Bryce Dessner became famous as the guitarist of the indie rock band The National, but he has also long been recognised as a composer. This season, as Creative Chair, he will present very different facets of his work. Under the direction of Simone Young, Bryce Dessner will perform a double guitar solo together with David Chalmin – with our orchestra instead of his band.
But first Bryce Dessner will introduce himself – with a questionnaire based on the legendary works of Marcel Proust and Max Frisch.
My instrument takes many forms, because I like to write for orchestra, which is a huge instrument. I also like to write for organ, for harp or for children's choirs. My favourite instrument to play is the guitar. But the way I use it is more like the way I write for orchestra: I think of it more as a tone colour, a texture, creating overlays. I like the feeling of multiplicity and plurality in music, where you can feel a kind of vastness that is perhaps most comparable to nature. If you look at the sea or the mountains, you can recognise both a simplicity and a complexity. That's why the orchestra, for example, really appeals to me: because of all the creative possibilities it offers.
Everyone likes applause. Everyone likes recognition. As a composer and performer, I realise when a piece works. Sometimes applause can also be superficial. Then the long-term effect of a piece is not so profound. And sometimes there are only a few cheers, but it's a piece that sticks with people and they still think about it two weeks later. I think in the 20th century there was a history of composers thinking that applause wasn't good because if people liked it, then it wasn't intellectual enough. I think that's a bit silly. It's nice when people enjoy a piece and the musicians feel celebrated. I wish people would applaud more.
I like to have my guitar in my hand or the piano before a concert to just play a bit. I usually have dinner after a concert. Not before. Otherwise, it depends on the repertoire being played and how stressful it is.
You can find the whole questionnaire here.
