CUMMINGS AND GOINGS

Eric Thielemans, Josse De Pauw and Kris Defoort: Cummings and goings

Poems by E. E. Cummings (1894 – 1962), performed by acclaimed actor Josse De Pauw, accompanied and supported by the searching percussion, stuttering grooves and melodic drumming of Eric Thielemans and the piano playing of composer-pianist Kris Defoort, situated between composition and improvisation.

Three distinct voices. Performing, probing, singing, speaking, talking.

The work of E. E. Cummings is considered to be ahead of its time, because of experiments with form, syntax and language. He invented his own words and ascribed personal meaning to existing ones, while viewing the poem as a visual object on a page as well as a text to be read and recited. In “Cummings and goings”, Eric Thielemans, Josse De Pauw and Kris Defoort add new meaning to these groundbreaking works through musical interpretation.

“Cummings and goings” is performed as a concert where each performer wears headphones; is introverted yet expressive. It is musically maximalist and resonant, but without performative translation. As if the audience were present during a live recording session.

Josse and Eric met while working on the musical theater performance “Liefde / Zijn handen” (2007) at production house LOD, written by Josse and composed by Jan Kuijken. Afterwards, Josse and Eric created “Rops/Snare” (2009), a duo performance written by Josse inspired by the work of Félicien Rops in which the snare drum creates an evocative world of sound.

Kris Defoort and Josse De Pauw collaborated on several live performances, created at LOD, where Kris was the composer-in-residence for many years. One of these works is “An Old Monk” (2013), a dramatic concert inspired by Thelonious Monk.

Eric Thielemans has played with Kris Defoort’s project “ConVerSations / ConSerVations”, together with Dreamtime, Claron McFadden and string ensemble Quatuor Danel, released in 2005 by W.E.R.F. Records.