Blow Out

wind ensemble and video images

4 trp. 5 trb. tb. 3 sax 2 cl. b.cl. ob. bsn. pf. e.git e.bass 2 x perc. samples, video

composed and filmed by Arnoud Noordegraaf

art director: Anthony Sgard

written for the David Kweksilber Bigband

filmed on location in Xiamen, China and in a studio in Amsterdam

premiere 7 June 2008, BIMhuis Amsterdam, Holland Festival 2008

Blow Out explores the vast dynamic range of a large wind ensemble, that is just as much a big band as a modern ensemble. During my residency in China I encountered abandoned buildings, touched by the elements over many years, especially by the wind, blowing them to pieces, sometimes slowly, sometimes in a fast rage.

Aging this way, these unfinished concrete structures turn into something reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

In his Amsterdam studio, Anthony Sgard built a scale model of these ruins, and using powerful wind turbines we ran a storm through the structure. In the concert hall, the images are projected on a wide scrim just above the ensemble. They explore both exterior and interior parts of the huge concrete skeleton, the camera always very slowly moving sideways, creating a calm, seemingly objective viewpoint.

video credits:

concept and production: Arnoud Noordegraaf
first assistant on location in Xiamen: Chen Wei

art director: Anthony Sgard

turbines: Singel Film

Blow Out trailer and short making-of featurette

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more images in the Blow Out facebook album

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