Do you like combining musical genres? Do you enjoy exploring different musical cultures, rhythms and musical structures? Are you curious about how chamber music, traditional music, jazz and classic meet and ultimately come together naturally in a group sound?
«The Silkroad Project» with Daniel Schnyder will inspire you to do just that!
This project arose from Daniel Schnyder’s idea of exploring and playing new worlds of sound with young virtuoso classical musicians, beyond the classical music they are already familiar with. Therefore the orchestra calls itself WBO, Worlds Beyond Orchestra.
In a second step, this programme shows the connections between oriental colours, rhythms and sounds and the classical music already familiar to the young virtuosos. Together with world-renowned musicians from China and the Middle East, the young musicians create bridges between new compositions, traditional Arabic rhythms and well-known classical works. The cultures are connected at the root, weaving into each other and resulting in a fascinating new synthesis that musically captures our time, our urban reality. The classical string orchestra is transformed and enriched by the sounds of the pipa and nay, but above all by the traditional percussion instruments, riq, tarabouka and frame drums. Quarter tones, odd rhythms and melismatic melodies embellish the music.
The classical string orchestra is modified and enriched by the sounds of the pipa and nay, but above all by the traditional percussion instruments, riq, tarabouka and frame drums. Quarter tones, odd rhythms and melismatic melodies add unexpected colors to the music.
The western saxophone in contrast sets a completely different accent: it represents the world of jazz, the musical ‘sponge’ of the 20th century, which absorbs everything that sounds reflecting it in a new light.
The saxophone represents the moment of spontaneous musical invention, of improvisation, which always was central to the music of the East but disappeared from our classical tradition in the 20th century.
Through the art of jazz, improvisation was reinvented in the West. The musical journey along the Silk Road and the bridge to the classical music of the past provide a unique listening experience full of surprises and breathtaking virtuosity.
The programme is also accompanied by moving images of oriental ornamentation. In this way, the fascination of the Orient is also captured visually and reflected holistically together with the music.
The eye and ear are simultaneously beguiled by foreign sounds and images.