René
Mense
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Three
Dances in the Abstract (1997
/rev. 2000)
for guitar, 7'10"
Three Dances in the Abstract were composed in 1997 and revised in 2000. In the same year, the new version was awarded Third Prize in the Composition Competition of the 1st Göttingen Guitar Seminar. The work was premiered by the guitarist Sebastian Albert at a gala concert on December 2, 2000 at the Alte Rathaus in Göttingen.
The three abstract dances were based on experiences I had as the lay member of a dance theater company. What especially fascinated me in working with dancers was the development of scenic-dramatic processes from improvisation. From the spontaneous movements and figures of individuals, unforeseen interactions emerged, often forming so-called “movement choruses”.
In my dances, the element of the exposition of individual, highly diverse characters plays a highlighted role with respect to the group figures. The first of the three pieces, in fact, shows the collision of contrasts in expression and articulation especially clearly. The canon-like passages already hint at a coming together of the dancers, from which a group movement could follow.
Audio Samples (MP3):
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