Ansgar Beste -‘Dialogues-Fragiles’

Workshop recording. Malmo, 5/5/2011 PSS-Violin (Recording courtesy of the composer)

The violin prepared-ready for Ansgar Beste’s ‘Dialogues Fragiles’ London March 2012

Ansgar Beste writes:I heard Peter playing for the first time in a marvellous concert by the Kreutzer
Quartet at the Connect Festival in Malmö / Sweden on Nov 11 th 2009. I was taken
by their fresh way of playing no matter what style.
Subsequently, we had a regular and lively email discussion on my works for
prepared string orchestra and string quartet. Besides, I met him at several
stimulating workshops on solo violin music in Malmö. I loved his
wholeheartedness and enthusiasm to take every composer and every single work he
played at least 100% serious.
In Jan 2011, when Peter asked me, wide-eyed, to compose a piece for prepared
solo violin related to Helmut Lachenmann’s “Toccatina”, the idea fascinated me
immediately, there was no way out…

Finally, I composed my “Dialogues Fragiles” for prepared solo violin in April
2011. The main idea behind the piece is a continuous but fragile dialogue
between different pairs of timbral elements on the prepared violin. Five
different playing techniques and sounds are arranged in the order from
continuous, sustained to discontinuous, percussive sounds. They always
communicate in pairs: 1+2, 2+3, 3+4 and finally 4+5. When material 5 disappears,
the fragile dialogues have come to an end.
“Dialogues Fragiles” was composed for Peter Sheppard Skærved.

‘Diagogue Fragile’ by Ansgar Beste, which PSS will premiere in Malmo 5 5 11