work comments
The trumpet soloist works as a sender ”are reflecting the news” and
the brass quintet like a ”receiver that comments the action”.
They are confronted and changing roles in between during the course of
the journey were the soloists moves from noise towards pitch while
the brass goes right the opposite, from pitch to noise.
The work is divided into three movements that is played without a break.
Reviews on Confrontation:
Apelrydsladan, Båstad
Håkan Hardenberger/Stockholm Chamber Brass
[…] ”tillsammans med Stockholms Brasskvintett genomförde han ett fullkomligt lysande uruppförande av den unge tonsättaren Benjamin Staerns (född 1978) ”Confrontation”. Ett verk som fick mig att i snabb följd associera till Stravinskij, Ligeti, storbandsjazz och fusion innan jag bara gav mig och insåg att det här är en musik som inte går att rama in utan som spränger fram från en helt ny och egen källa. En sprudlande vettvillig musik, som samlar ihop sig och bryter samman, med den mest rasande dialogiska kraft. Och vars allra sista krasch känns som ett språng ut i – ja, ut i vad?
På väg från Båstad åkte jag ut till Hovs Hallar, udden en bit västerut, bara för att se horisonten. Och jo, den linjen låg kvar. Men sådana försäkringar behöver nog inte Benjamin Staern – som i mina öron kan bli hur stor som helst.”
”a completely brilliant world-premiere by the young composer Benjamin Staern (born 1978) ”Confrontation”.
A work that for me in rapid succession associated with Stravinsky, Ligeti, bigbandjazz and fusion before I just gave up
and realized that this is music that you cannot frame into but it explodes from a new and original source.
A gushingly frenzied music, that collects itself together and breaks apart, with its utmost raging dialogical power.
And its very last crash felt like a leap into – yes, into what?
On the way from Båstad I drove out to Hovs Hallar, the headland on the west coast, just to see the horizon. And yes, that line was still there. But with these assurances won’t be needed for Benjamin Staern – that in my ears can be as big as possible.” […]
Martin Nyström, Dagens Nyheter, July 2nd 2007
other performances
2015
May 16 2015 De Spil BELGIAN PREMIERE!
Roeselare, Belgum
Jeroen Berwaerts
Stockholm Chamber Brass
2018
Grünewaldssalen, Konserthuset, Stockholm STOCKHOLM PREMIERE!
May 6th 2018
Håkan Hardenberger
Stockholm Chamber Brass
2019
June 30th US PREMIERE!
Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood, Lenox MA, USA
Håkan Hardenberger
Musicians from Tanglewood
October 6 2019 AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE!
Håkan Hardenberger
Musicians from ANAM Melbourne