Creation story in the vernacular
Every two years, the Stubete am See around the Zurich Tonhalle offers a showcase of new Swiss folk music. This August it's that time again. One of the festival's highlights is a composition commissioned from Domenic Janett, a folk tale of creation supported by Pro Helvetia.
The Stubete am See 2016 offers 33 ensembles from all over Switzerland the opportunity to present their current folk music on four stages in Zurich's Tonhalle and on the Bauschänzli. The "Ländlerorchester", the house orchestra of the Stubete am See, will premiere a Ländler symphony by the young bassist Pirmin Huber. The orchestra includes eight Einschellers, yodel, zither, guitar, accordion, percussion, samples, wind instruments and strings.
Accordionist Patricia Draeger launches the "Ringhöörigs" program together with jazz singer Marianne Racine. The Alphorn Quartet Hornroh presents the multi-part composition "Brut" for four differently tuned alphorns by Basel composer Lukas Langlotz for the first time. And the ensemble "Tritonus" will be searching for old music in Swiss cities in 16th century lute tablatures to coincide with the festival in Zurich.
Contacts between the Coro Cantarina from the Sempach region and the yodel double quartet Bärgblüemli Littau and Ils Fränzlis da Tschlin led to the desire for a joint project. In collaboration with the Stubete am See, a composition was commissioned from the 2016 Graubünden Culture Prize winner Domenic Janett, which is supported by Pro Helvetia. It is based on the libretto "still und unendlich weit" by Ramona Benz, which was also commissioned. The result is a 50-minute creation story in a folk style, performed by Janett, his Fränzlis da Tschlin and around 55 musicians and singers.
According to its self-declaration, the Stubete am See continues to deliberately limit itself to ensembles from Switzerland. However, one theme is paramount: the composer Hassan Taha from Syria and his nine fellow musicians juxtapose Syrian songs with Swiss songs in the program "Wells and Bridges". In addition to the oud, Taha writes for hammered dulcimer, Schwyzerörgeli, alphorn, percussion and strings.
More info: www.stubeteamsee.ch
