Alban Wesly – bassoonist of the exceptional Calefax reed quintet, took us on a journey through the evolution of the group and….. And music itself.
Classical music was traditionally full of strong fixations – limited formats in composing and performing composition. Only in the 20th century has there been some liberation from that formation and more room for free musical composition and expression. At the time of their foundation, the reed quintet was unique, and although several other reed quintets have followed since, Calefax’es uniqueness is maintained and expressed by their performance style and musical versatility. The five musicians arrange, recompose and interpret music from early music to classical and jazz to world premières with pieces ranging from the 15th to the 20th century. Their surprising sound and uplifting harmony are a great match for their performance style, truly gaining this quintet the title of musical inventors. They were literally materializing music in front of our eyes, playing and evolving the composition while assembling the instruments.
On a personal note, just 200 meters away from the Stadsschouwburg stands the highschool where the five founded Calefax 25 years ago. Alban recalls how in musical academy his teacher laughed at the notion of a reed quintet making it as a mainstream and profitable arrangement. I think the 700 or so people in the audience beg to differ.
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