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Quadrivium’s resilience audible during anniversary concert

There will be almost six hundred days between the first and the second performance, instead of the usual seven days. We are talking about the anniversary concert ‘Klassiek van eigen bodem’ from ESMG Quadrivium that was actually planned twice around the time Covid shut the university down. The Eindhoven student music association makes a comeback after the corona crisis.

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file photo Jeroen de Croock

On December 1, 2019 Quadrivium turned 55 years. However, that party was only partly celebrated. Their concert in Zutphen on March 9, 2020, did go ahead. However, by the time of their second performance, the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven had to close their doors. “After the crisis, we picked up where we left off and continued from there. So now, it’s time for a party!”, says Dionne Mahieu, who was at that time chair of Quadrivium and now commsioner of symphony orchestra Ensuite.  “Our symphony orchestra, wind orchestra (Auletes), and mixed choir (Vokollage) will join forces to perform a concert with an entirely Dutch repertoire.” Aside from established arrangements, Quadrivium will play the piece Agatrix with 140 orchestra members all at the same time. “It was specially composed by composer Dennis Hazenoot for Quadrivium. This piece suits us and the motto of the university ‘Mens Agitat Molem’ [mind moves matter] is reflected in it as well”, says Laethitia Held, secretary of Quadrivium. “We are a cultural association at a technical university. You can hear that discrepancy in the lyrical, vague parts that contrast with the rhythmic, tight, and precise pieces."

Physics 

‘Klassiek van eigen bodem’ will also include the piece ‘Fysica’. It was specially composed by Florian van der Reijden for the hundred-year anniversary of the Netherlands’ Physical Society (NNV). The composition expresses a number of physical phenomena, including the Doppler effect. Quadrivium will play this piece twice at the request of the NNV (who have found ways to celebrate their anniversary in every university town in the Netherlands differently). On December 1, the arrangement will be the basis for a lecture given in collaboration with Studium Generale.

The performance in Zutphen did get played. Photo | Sander Damsma
Out of the box

The corona period was a tough time, Held and Mahieu believe. “We tried to do everything that was possible”, says the latter. “When we were allowed to practice with thirty people, but couldn’t use the Pulsarzaal in Luna, we would go to a bigger room in the high school Augustinianum with half of the orchestra.” Luckily, since this academic year, Quadrivium can finally do what they are good at: practicing together until the next concert.

The association was also able to do activities they otherwise wouldn’t have the time for such as an impovisation workshop, a weekend Buitenkunst, and a professinal recording for Auletes. “We have looked for alternative goals to work towards”, says Mahieu. “Instead of a concert, Auletes practiced for a profesisonal recording that we were able to pay for thanks to crowdfunding by sponsors. First, the recording will be distributed via usb sticks to donators and after that it will be on Spotify.”

Improvisation

Another memorable activity was the workshop ‘Improvisation’ for Ensuite. “At the word ‘improvisation’, some orchestra members -and I am one of them- will immediately receive an error message in their minds”, says Held. "We stick to sheet music and in an ideal world the conductor would give the number of decibels when he says something needs to be ‘louder’. Now, we had an Iranian composer who pulled us out of our comfortzone. He had brought along an Iranian singer who sung and took us with them in the music. It was magical.”

What was also different from usual was the weekend when the enitre association travelled to Flevoland to participate in Buitenkunst. The organisation Buitenkunst organises workshops by professional artists at campgrounds, among other places. “That was in June, just after the first lockdown had ended, and we were so happy to be able to play together again”, flutist Mahieu reminisces .

This academic year, Quadrivium has received more new members than ever. “We went from six violinists to twenty”, says the secretary. “We think it's catching up. There are a lot of second-year students who we missed last year as freshmen since they didn't come to live in Eindhoven during the corona crisis.”

The concert Klassiek op eigen bodem will take place on November 28, at 15:30 in Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. The ticket sale has already begun and the tickets are available here. 

 

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