1) SEE THE TRUTH
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

The composition “See the Truth” (from 2012) was already part of the “reloaded#3” program, yet without our electronic musician Eva Pöpplein.

In the version adapted for 2021, in addition to the revision of the composition and the inclusion of a text, the content has also been expanded. In this current edition, the added electronic feeds illustrate the hectic everyday life that surrounds us, particularly in big cities. The tenor saxophone solo, alienated by live sampling, stands for the way we often perceive things in a distorted way.

“See the truth” describes the wish to be able to recognize the bright sides in each other in each encounter – no matter how negative or aggressive it may be – as often as possible. A noble undertaking … but worthwhile!

2) ECHO CHAMBERS Clouds & Bubbles
(Composition: Christina Fuchs 2022)

This composition is based on the work by the same title, which was created for the Festival “Romanischer Sommer Köln” for 10-piece ensemble in summer 2022.

Christina Fuchs:

I adapted this material from Echo Chambers to large orchestra here and intertwined it with electronics. The basic theme is still the ambivalence of the ideas: the cloud, in which the data of most of us lie, without us having a clue what is happening there- at the same time the gaze into the real clouds in the sky, which mean absolute freedom and being in the moment. The bubble is the metaphorical space in which we prefer to be, where statements are amplified- and disturbing elements, such as opinions to the contrary, are absorbed. Bubbles can also be the source of a vibrant creativity.

Lyrics: In a smart, blue sky, next to eternity you’ll find art made out of water and molecules. Sometimes dense, sometimes blurred, always liquid. Never lasting landcsapes, feathers and cumulus, fine lines above.

3) INSIDE ME
(Composition: Caroline Thon 2022)

So many different pieces of information out there with all the conflicts and pandemics around us, so much confusion, and so many populists who think they have it all figured out. It can be very confusing and hard to keep a clear head.

Caroline Thon:

Therefore, in my opinion, we need an inner voice that gives us confidence and a positive outlook that strengthens us…this is the topic of “Inside Me”.

4) THERMAL WINDS
(Composition: Christina Fuchs 2022)

Christina Fuchs:

Sometimes you just want to get out of here, for example, flying. That’s what happened this summer on a tandem paragliding flight that I took. It was both exciting and impressive to feel the power of the thermal winds.

Not without reason, flying is an old dream of mankind. Paragliding was such an emotional experience that I don’t know what to say. Music can express it better in “Thermal Winds”.

5) OUTSIDE OF ME
(Composition: Caroline Thon 2022)

Outside of Me”, which is based strongly on improvisation, is the counterpart to “Inside Me” and it describes what is going on around us right now. The breakdown of our former certainties caused by crises, climate change and pandemics. This triggers a feeling of helplessness inside of me,fear but also anger and despair how it could reach this point and why the politics still do not react adequately (for example: results of the world climate conference in Sharm El – Sheikh 2022 or the ignoring attitude towards the revolution in Iran).

Caroline Thon:

That composition is an intentional imposition in order to accuse and to wake up.

6) STRUCTURES V&VI
(Composition: Christina Fuchs 2022)

Christina Fuchs:

Structures V&VI are parts of a six part suite previously presented in “Reloaded#4” in spring 2022. This composition is based on six abstract photographs depicting natural structures. To these, electronic sounds are associated and the musical structures are composed.

Part V is also subtitled ” Wooden Paths” because the photograph shows the trails that woodworms munch into the wood. In the process, random, abstract forms emerge, but with great stringency. I combined these with repetitive sounds of ping-pong balls inside the grand piano, which are also electronically processed.

Music structures reflect on microcosms.

7) REPRISE
(Composition: Caroline Thon 2019)

Caroline Thon:

This composition represents the fourth part of my first suite “High Fidelity of Materialism – what about the Nature?” which expresses a musical appeal to compassion. The fact that this is not always easy becomes apparent, among other things, in the use of a constantly shifting 7/4 time signature as a canon. For the ear: Lucretius has his say with a famous quotation, but the intention here is to deny that basic statement of eternalism: that nothing becomes nothing, not even by the will of the gods.

“A big dream of mine was the realization of this 4-part suite HIGH FIDELITY OF MATERIALISM, which is shaped by political actions and my collaboration in radio play productions.”

PART 1 – INNER & OUTER ECHO CHAMBERS
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

For this premiere, the church of St. Maria im Kapitol with its very special resonance becomes a musical image of the interaction between external events and inner experience.
What happens on the outside creates an echo on the inside. Being an echo of what we have experienced, this influences our future experiences, perceptions and resulting actions. In the words of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus: “Panta Rhei – Everything flows”.
It plays an important role to what extent we are able or willing to reflect on what we have experienced.
In analogy to this, one speaks in the science of sound (acoustics) of first, second and multiple reflections, which influence our acoustic perception of echo and reverberation. Our experience undergoes a more or less conscious reflection in different phases. To musically depict this analogy is the theme of the 3 movements subsumed under the title
“Echo Chambers- Reflexionen”:
1. Reflexion – Outside
2. Reflexion – Inside
3. Reflexion – Panta Rhei

PART 2 – INNER & OUTER ECHO CHAMBERS
(Composition: Christina Fuchs)

Echoes (or reverberations) create an invisible network of reflections in space. This magic emerges in a very special way in Part II of this world premiere as part of the “Romanische Nacht” in St. Maria/Kapitol. This music is a free-flowing, orchestral work of art in space – the church becomes an Echo Chamber, a Cloud. Likewise, the term refers to a metaphorical sphere in which statements are amplified and disturbing noises – such as opinions to the contrary – are suppressed: the bubble in which we prefer to reside. This seeming contradiction of inside and outside is not resolved, but where better to perceive it than within an echo chamber? It is in the nature of the echo to always return, the same way we are thrown back on ourselves: Home.

Echo Chambers “Cloud Cluster”
1st set “Cloud”
2nd set “Bubble”
3rd movement “Home”

1) YVES.KLEIN.BLAU (IKB)
(Composition: Christina Fuchs)

Yves Klein, the French conceptual artist, is best known for his monochrome paintings, in which he primarily used a monochrome ultramarine blue, which he eventually patented under the name “International Klein Blue.”

The psychological color effect of this blue tone consists in the magnetic pull it causes on the viewer, who literally feels drawn into the picture… the music that was created along with it has the same effect.

A quotation from Yves Klein appears in the piece: He complains about the birds making holes in his best work of art as they fly around in the cloudless, blue sky.

2) KHO BA
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

“Kho Ba” ( properly spelled Khor Ba) is the Tibetan term for “samsara.” This composition is about transience and the perpetual cycle of birth, age, illness and death.
In a broader sense, it is also an analysis of the current situation caused by the pandemic.

3) SUITE STRUCTURES I-VI
(Composition: Christina Fuchs)

This composition is based on six abstract photographs depicting natural structures. Electronic sounds are associated with them and musical structures are composed.

In the spirit of a “Gesamtkunstwerk”, the sounds and associated compositions are arranged in the form of a suite consisting of several parts.

4) SUITE THE TRUTH OF J.P.S. – PART I-III
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

An appeal to prove the French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre wrong with his negative views on mankind!

PART I „Closed Society“
Based on the stage drama “Closed Society”, the confrontation and threat of this negative view is set to music. You can hear quotations based on the stage drama of the main protagonist “Garcin”.

PART II „Naisser“
Further development of the 1st draft of the composition “Naisser”)
Increasing aggression is expressed by frantic brass sections and a rocking guitar solo. This resembles a description of how it could end, if Jean-Paul Sartre should be right with his pessimistic view on mankind.

PART III „Conclusion“
As the classical final movement of a three-movement suite, a slow movement concludes, and here the opposite position is presented:
what it might be like if we were to engage with the following words of the Buddhist master Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche:

„It is our mind that either chains us or liberates us“.

5) ICELAND III
(Composition: Christina Fuchs)

This is a re-arrangement of the composition ICELAND in the spirit of the Reloaded concept: with new sounds, altered emphasis and soloists, the piece appears in a different shape.

Christina Fuchs:

“Since I was traveling in Iceland myself in 2021, climbing around on some glaciers and making field recordings, I can’ t let go of the subject.”

6) THE BEAUTY – Part II
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

Caroline Thon:

“THE BEAUTY is in fact the 2nd movement of my 4-part suite HIGH FIDELITY OF MATERIALISM. This composition is a homage to nature which describes the astonishing delight of experiencing, for instance, a murmuring brook in the sunlight. In addition, quotations from the Latin poet Lucretius can be heard, which however are meant to question his eternalism.

Opposite to this, the melody of a long-life practice from Tibetan Buddhism resounds, which deals with the balance of the five elements water, fire, earth, air and iron (space).”

7) MAMOIADA
(Composition: Christina Fuchs)

Mamoiada ist ein Re-Arrangement der Komposition aus dem Programm RELOADED#1.

The village of Mamoiada is located in the province of Nuoro in Sardinia. This is where the traditional folk dance “Passu Torrau” originates from. A vocal tradition based on four tenors is also native to the same area.

Christina Fuchs:

“Das Stück ist von der Version „Passu Torrau“ des Quartetts „Tenore Gòine de Núgoro“ inspiriert. Da dieses Konzert ohne die elektronischen Einspielungen stattfand, habe ich die 4 Tenöre durch 4 Posaunen ersetzt.”

8) LEDNESIP
(Komposition: Caroline Thon)

In this composition Caroline Thon was inspired by the unique sound colours of baroque music.
A contemporary of the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach and at the same time the most famous violin virtuoso of the late Baroque, Johann Georg Pisendel (1687 – 1755), had composed a violin sonata (in D major), whose second movement (Larghetto) was particularly captivating to the jazz composer because of its beautiful melodies and a very unique harmony.

An intertwining web of melodies is seemingly designed to continue on and on, making the identification of distinct formal parts obsolete. The magic of the music simply never ends.
This composition “Lednesip” is an adaptation of “Larghetto” for contemporary jazz orchestra.

1) SEE THE TRUTH
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

This composition (written in 2012) originally aimed at the treatment of lovesickness. When you realise that you have been immensely deceived by your longed-for counterpart and refused to admit it for a long time, it has to really “hurt” until you accept the fact.

In the 2021 adapted version, besides the revision of the composition and adding a text, also the content has been broadened. Now it is mainly about the desire to always be able to perceive the bright sides in every encounter – no matter how negative or aggressive it may be. A noble undertaking … but worthwhile!

2) ICELAND III
(Composition: Christina Fuchs)

This is a re-arrangement of the composition ICELAND according to the concept of “reloaded”: new sounds, a different main focus and soloists give the piece a different appearance.

Christina Fuchs:

“”Since I was traveling in Iceland myself in 2021, scrambling around on some glaciers and taking field recordings, the subject wouldn’t let me go.”

3) THE BEAUTY – Part II
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

Caroline Thon:

“THE BEAUTY is in fact the 2nd movement of my 4-part suite HIGH FIDELITY OF MATERIALISM. This composition is an homage to nature and expresses the amazement of being able to experience, for example, a murmuring brook in the sunlight. This is accompanied by quotations from the Latin poet Lucretius, which, however, are meant to question his eternalism.

In contrast, the melody of a long-life practice based on Tibetan Buddhism resounds, which is about the balance of the five elements water, fire, earth, air and iron (space).“

4) SYRINX
(Composition: Christina Fuchs)

A re-arrangement of the composition SYRINX according to the concept of “reloaded”.

Transcriptions of bird songs as a loose resemblance to the sound of a cathedral in the woods. Single bird or instrumental parts are brought into a harmonic and rhythmic context, which are always the basis for improvisations.

5) LEDNESIP
(Composition: Caroline Thon)

In this composition Caroline Thon was inspired by the unique sound colours of baroque music.
A contemporary of the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach and at the same time the most famous violin virtuoso of the late Baroque, Johann Georg Pisendel (1687 – 1755), had composed a violin sonata (in D major), whose second movement (Larghetto) was particularly captivating to the jazz composer because of its beautiful melodies and a very unique harmony.

An intertwining web of melodies is seemingly designed to continue on and on, making the identification of distinct formal parts obsolete. The magic of the music simply never ends.
This composition “Lednesip” is an adaptation of “Larghetto” for contemporary jazz orchestra.

The original Part III “Conclusion” which is based on the three-movement suite „The truth of J.P.S.?“ has here in this version been further developed by the composer into an independent composition and got expanded by additional timbres and formal parts of, for example, a bass clarinet solo with a tangoesque underlay.
Instead of a sung Buddhist quotation, the main melody here is not the chant but the flugelhorn.
Caroline Thon also focuses on harmonic timbres and stringent development of the musical structure. A tongue-in-cheek quotation from the composer to this effect:

„I think I’m going through a rather romantic phase right now.“

Mamoiada is a re-arrangement of the composition based on the program RELOADED#1.
The village of Mamoiada is located in the province of Nuoro in Sardinia. This is where the traditional folk dance “Passu Torrau” originates from. A vocal tradition based on four tenors is also native to the same area.

Christina Fuchs:

“This piece is inspired by the version “Passu Torrau” of the quartet “Tenore Gòine de Núgoro”. In 2016 Christina Fuchs has won the 1st prize in the International Composition Competition “Scrivere in Jazz” for jazz orchestra there and this is how she got in touch with the region. Since this concert had to be without electronic samples, I replaced the 4 tenors with 4 trombones.”