JAP: Dawn (R)I-sing

23 August 2024, 08:00 pm.
House of Music - Open-air stage
1146 Budapest, Olof Palme sétány 3.

Is it ‘right’ to mix written music with elements of contemporary musical improvisation? Is it possible to create a true connection between different styles and eras? Are there bridges we can cross?  In this concert, the JAP ensemble will improvise with excerpts from Baroque and Renaissance compositions. Their covers feature musical works composed hundreds of years ago, as the group uses free improvisation to enhance the internal cohesive power taken from the layers of the initial framework.  Early music is no stranger to such contemporary reflections: improvisation was a defining element in Baroque and Renaissance performance, when it was – thanks to the existence of a common musical language – not so different to written music. Yet there were still some outstanding composers who were considered pioneers even then, including John Dowland, whose songs will play a central role in this concert. Dowland was one of the most famous musicians – a pop star, you could say – of his era, and wrote songs primarily for young people and amateur musicians in stately homes.