KEITH ROWE & MICHAEL PISARO – VENERABLE BEDE

A recording was made during the concert by Keith Rowe and Michael Pisaro that took place at the Sanatorium of Sound Festival in 2016.
The drawing on the cover by Keith Rowe.


The Venerable Bede (673)

“It seems to me that the life of man on earth is like the swift flight of a single sparrow through the banqueting hall where you are sitting at dinner on a winter’s day with your captains and counsellors. In the midst, there is a comforting fire to warm the hall. Outside, the storms of winter rain and snow are raging. This sparrow flies swiftly in through one window of the hall and out through another. While he is inside, the bird is safe from the winter storms, but after a few moments of comfort, he vanishes from sight into the wintry world from which he came. So man appears on earth for a little while – but of what went before this life, or what follows, we know nothing.” – Venerable Bede’s

History of the English People:
The Venerable Bede was born, plain old Bede, in AD 673. The name Venerable – meaning ancient and worthy – was added later as his fame as a scholar spread. He was born on the grounds of the monastery he was later to make famous and in which he was to serve as a monk for over 50 years. Little is known about his very early life until at the age of 7 he was entrusted into the care of Benedict Biscop, the founder of the monastery. When plague struck in 685 Bede, then aged 12, was one of only two survivors from the devastated congregation. He was to spend the rest of his life in Jarrow on the banks of the Tyne river where linguists can trace the modern-day “Geordie” accent directly back to the dialect of Old English that Bede and his kinsmen would have spoken all those years ago

Delve into the realm of sonic exploration, as the intricately crafted symphony presented by the avant-garde maestros Keith Rowe and Michael Pisaro unfolds, reverberating throughout the immersive auditory space of the esteemed Sanatorium of Sound Festival in 2016. This recorded opus manifests as a testament to their profound musicianship, employing innovative techniques and experimental approaches to shape a captivating sonic landscape.

Rowe, renowned for his pioneering work in prepared guitar, unfurls an intricate tapestry of timbres, utilizing unconventional objects and materials to manipulate the instrument's resonant properties. His daring exploration of extended techniques and unconventional playing methods breathes new life into the sonic possibilities of the guitar, pushing the boundaries of traditional musical expression.

Complementing Rowe's audacious artistry, Pisaro, a luminary in the field of experimental composition, meticulously crafts a nuanced sonic environment. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, his compositional approach embraces concepts of indeterminacy, space, and silence. Pisaro's musical language incorporates intricate soundscapes, where delicate nuances, sustained tones, and subtle textures coalesce to evoke contemplation and introspection.


Keith Rowe - table guitar, electronics

Michael Pisaro - guitar, electronics

Sanatorium of Sound is a festival focused on experimental music and broadly understood sound and sonic art. His main objective is to present the widest possible spectrum of the phenomena related to the development of musical forms in the 20th and 21st century, maintaining the balance between the traditions of experimental music of the past few decades and the new, still structureless tendencies. Founded in 2015 by Gerard Lebik and Zuzanna Fogtt, as part of the activity of the Contemporary Art Foundation In Situ in Sokolowsko.

sanatoriumofsound.com
www.sokolowsko.org/en/