Singing Hammers

SPECTRA once again joins forces — sticks and hands alike — with cimbalom master Luigi Gaggero, renowned for his lightning virtuosity and thunderous dynamics.
The cimbalom — a Hungarian string instrument from the hammered dulcimer family — is not only central to Hungarian and Romanian folk traditions, but has also inspired countless composers of our time.
With its bright, percussive yet resonant sound, the cimbalom forms a unique harmonic bridge between percussion and string instruments. From Bartók and Kodály to Boulez and Eötvös, composers have long been captivated by its Eastern colour palette, rhythmic precision and exotic timbral nuances.
In Singing Hammers, SPECTRA brings together three works written over the past twenty years for the ensemble and Luigi Gaggero.
In Kubrick’s Bone, Luca Francesconi recalling Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey uses the cimbalom as a symbol of transformation and technological evolution: a primordial instrument that, supported by a virtuosic ensemble, embarks on a (r)evolutionary journey.
Also in Stefano Gervasoni’s Gramigna - literally "weed" or “couch grass” - we encounter a continuous play of transformation, fragmentation and renewal. In a sonic world of brief gestures and unpredictable motifs, musical ideas spread like weeds taking root everywhere, forming an intricate and compelling texture. Here, the “weed” becomes part of the landscape rather than something to be eradicated.
Daan Janssens explores in (l’espace d’une page) the tension — so characteristic of his music — between sound and silence. The cimbalom, acting as a quasi-soloist, is in constant dialogue with the ensemble. With a refined sensitivity to sound and timbre, Janssens shapes a work in which the unique colour of the cimbalom is beautifully interwoven with the ensemble texture.