"This is not a grand concert gesture. It is a reminder of what music can do: provide comfort" (nmz)

Unusual sounds filled the iconic WDR Funkhaus on November 23rd, when musicians of Ensemble Musikfabrik, one of Germany’s top contemporary music ensembles, took the stage to perform Lisa Streich’s new ensemble piece VOGUE. The work, which deals with the heavy and multi-layered topic of prostitution, requires selected members of the ensemble to sing, while playing, allowing for unique moments of intimacy and intensity.

About VOGUE

Streich wrote several songs with her own texts, musically tailored to the musicians of the ensemble, linked through a reoccurring passage of a violinist calmly playing spread out notes on a piano, while intertwining those with col-legno-notes on the violin (played with the wooden part of the bow).

The result was a daring and personal musical experience, amplified through the beauty of the weakness and imperfection of the untrained voices of the musicians in opposition to the mastery of their instrumental playing, allowing for a special empathic connection between the audience and the musicians. Deliberately on the verge of being audible, the songs convey feelings of melancholy and loneliness, while always being embedded in seemingly simple, yet microtonally altered chords of the ensemble. As a result, the premiere was carried by an especially warm reception of the audience.

Score of VOGUE