Here [to be found]
for soprano, chamber orchestra and soundtrack (2001)
In his Here trilogy, composer Van der Aa draws the listener into the musical exploration of the clash between the individual and his surroundings. His irrepressible fascination for theatrical and visual means is one recurring feature of the trilogy. A recognizable harmonic signature is evidence of his economical use of material. The harmonic DNA of the Here trilogy consists in each of the three sections of the same eleven chords, both in the orchestra and the soundtrack.
Here [to be found] (2001) is officially the closing section of the Here trilogy, but it was in fact the first to be composed. The density of the ideas present clearly suggests that Van der Aa realized that he could expand the theme of the individual vs. her surroundings in two additional sections. Here [to be found] sketches, using a minimum of harmonic means, a thoroughly oppressive mood, introduced by wispy chords in the strings.
The inevitable sense of drama of Here [to be found] comes primarily through the process of attraction and repulsion between the soprano, chamber orchestra and soundtrack. Just as in Here [in circles] the composer penned the tranquil yet ornate texts himself; words that express the meandering reveries of the emotionally wayward dramatic 'ego' (the soprano). She searches for - and finds - contact with the orchestra and soundtrack, but thereafter only sinks deeper into her own musical micro-universe. The soprano drifts ever further from the elements around her, the text as well as the music.
The soprano's icy disengagement is reflected in Van der Aa's music. He manipulates
the music's linear progression by snipping it up and reintroducing these fragments
on the soundtrack in altered form. In doing so - rewinding and fast-forwarding
- he creates an additional dimension of time. The sensation of a vacuum that
arises when the music 'freezes' and then 'thaws' parallels and reflects the isolation
felt by the soprano, and at the same time acts as an abstract expression of her
mood. The singer, together with the orchestra and the soundtrack, searches for
a new departure point. In that respect, drama and structure in the Here
trilogy are constantly indivisible.
© 2004 Mischa Spel, translation Jonathan Reeder
Text
Here [to be found] - Michel van der Aa
Motionless I find myself on the
ground. Covered with questions. Stones
invade stomachs. Windows stand starless
still. With little or no light
I clearly see all I can
see. An order without lines, sparks or
colour. The charts show no coherence.
Now should I: Breathe the muddied night air,
Tear the light curve off its asymptote,
Cage my myriad mind instantly,
Without faltering attempt
the impossible and find
my longitude? A wounded
shooting star. Nothing catches
fire and I am unaware.
Press
"The highlight of this Musiktage came during a concert by the Radio Chamber Orchestra led by conductor Peter Eötvös: 'Here [to be found]' by the 31 year-old-Dutchman Michel van der Aa, still relatively unknown in the avant-garde scene. His piece for voice, chamber orchestra and soundtrack contains cantilenas sung beautifully by soprano Barbara Hannigan. The music flows organically and is of exquisite simplicity. After the preceding examples of aimless syntax and compositional convulsions, 'Here [to be found]' was a true blessing."
— Stefan Hoffmann, Die Welt, 23 October 2001
"One could say that Michel van der Aa poses the best questions during these Donaueschinger Musiktage, both to himself and to the music. For example: how can I best express what I want to say? And, worthy of a true craftsman, not only: how do I build a tower?, but also: how do I then get out of the tower? How can I say the 'old' is new again? Van der Aa's piece is called 'Here [to be found]' and the title does not promise too much."
— Mirko Weber, Stuttgarter Zeitung, 23 October 2001
"Success for Van der Aa at the Donaueschingen Festival. It's beautiful how the airy string chords precede Van der Aa's quiet poem. He knows how to freeze a scene, create a vacuum. The theatricality in turbulent figures comes across very well. The same is true for the ending, where the synchronicity of the voice, the orchestra and the soundtrack gradually disintegrates. The piece was very successful with this select audience that included many composers, programmers and publishers."
— Ernst Vermeulen, NRC, 22 October 2001
(Performance at Netherlands Music Days 2001). "The Radio Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Peter Eötvös, concluded the festival yesterday in a special way. Along with Rudolf Eschers 'Nostalgies', it performed 'Here [to be found]', an impressive work by Michel van der Aa...The sound of the electronic soundtrack melted with the orchestra and the soprano, and 'mechanical switch' sounds send into the hall through loudspeakers triggered the orchestra to start and stop. There we finally had the idea that we were listening to 'state of the art' Dutch music and for a moment it lifted the festival above its provincial level."
— Anthony Fiumara, Trouw, 17 December 2001