Blindman - Quatuor Danel

The German composer Helmut Oehring (b. 1961) is the son of deaf parents. He only realised this when he was sent to another family to learn how to speak. This was a shocking experience. His mother's deep voice had previously always seemed normal to him. He became a builder and learned to play guitar and compose on his own. Because he lived in a deaf environment, seeing was more important than hearing. Sight is linked to speech and communication. Even as a composer, he thinks and dreams in sign language. Is this why Oehring makes all instrumental sounds so strange? Is this why he retunes strings, detensions drums and covers metal until there is nothing that sounds and vibrates naturally? The musicians are required to submit themselves to Oehring's musical language on the level of time and rhythmic structures, as well as to movement and spatial coordination. It's as if they have had to learn to speak anew on their musical instrument. In this portrait concert, you will hear the first ever performance of a work by Blindman and Quatuor Danel commissioned by deSingel. You will also hear some new versions of Oehring's existing compositions and a piece by Eric Sleichim, the inspiration behind Blindman.