Interdisciplinary projects
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James Strecker, the
well known Canadian poet and author
of twenty books, recipient of the Hamilton Arts Award, collaborated since 1994
with Barend Schipper. Strecker wrote poems in reaction on Schippers music and
philosophy. On these poems Schipper composed music again. This resulted in a CD in which Schipper translated the
poetry in music, performing the piano music and vocalizing the poetry
simultaneously.
Strecker wrote on Schippers music:
“Barend Schippers music manifests a world
of refined balance, energy and organic coherence. Its vigorous lyricism is both
assertive and ethereal, its themes playful and poignant, and always physically
compelling. This refreshing music echoes the past and mirrors the future”. To listen to examples, click here
Music and architecture:
Martin van Wijck, city architect, director of programming and development of urban planning in Groningen, the Netherlands, asked Schipper in
2001 to join a pilot project of Architecture and Music: rewriting the city map by means of music: a trans disciplinary
project from architecture to music.
Participating are prominent city designers, city
architects and planners.
Martin van Wijck about Schippers music:
“Schippers music is so organic and clear
cut that, in graphic notation, it could be used as a map to design the flow of
routes of a city.”
His cooperation with architect Mijnske Sival, resulted
in designing a roundabout, combining
architecture, music and poetry.
This project was awarded.
Barend Schipper worked with Jaap Flier, co founder, dancer, and artistic leader of the
Nederlands Dans Theatre. Flier is fully active as freelance dancer, actor and
choreographer with new and renewing projects. He was also artistic leader of
the Australian Dance Theatre and study leader on the Amsterdam School for New
Dance Developments.
During the last 10 years Flier and Schipper inspired
each other mutually in the topic of Nijinski, the most important dancer of
Diaghilev,
and the author Kafka.
The cooperation resulted in the production of a CD
with dance music called ‘Dances of a
Faun’, a second CD called ‘Nijinski’, and a third called ‘Visions du Palais Barbare’ and a fourth
called ‘Kafka Suite’.
Jaap Flier wrote on Schippers music:
“In
Schipper’s music sounds a deep connection with our past and surrounding cultures.
His
compositor and pianist talents create a new romantic and intercultural world of
both personal and classical beauty”.
In 2005 the movie
Villa Concert has been produced by Schipper’s company: Music
Inter Face. This movie is shown in the cultural filmhouse ‘Images’
in Groningen, the Netherlands.
This film of Barend Schipper and film maker Arno Cupédo shows a
classical “direct creation concert” in a villa by Schipper. The movie is about
beauty and authenticity in our time. It is a true music movie: Schipper and
Cupédo shared direction and editing. The result is a special cross-over between
film and classical music, the images of the concert work as sounds.
The movie though is about much more than music alone: it’s also the
lively contact with the audience, the singing that turns unnoticed into acting.
Music and cultures from the past and our surrounding countries integrate in
Schipper’s music.
Production of CDs of Schippers music: 20 CDs, 2 DVDs and a movie are produced
of Schippers music since 1998. They are sold by his company Music Inter Face.
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