Presentation of the project /

During this residency, Khrust composed, with the participation of Al-Ashkar, a new work entitled Toutes choses for violin, oud, live electronics and the sound of falling water drops. The work was performed by the artists during a concert organised for the end of the residency.

As part of the project, Basem Al-Ashkar and Nikolaï Khrust also led a workshop on improvisation in contemporary art music for students at the Lycée d'Astrée in Boën.

The concept of the work aimed at a cross-disciplinary form, at the crossroads between musical piece and sound installation. The literary basis of the composition is based on excerpts from sermons and meditations by Meister Eckhart, a medieval mystic from Cologne, whose ideas on the contemplation of God, the world and time are reflected in the structure of the piece, which is oriented towards a particular state beyond everyday experience.

Recording and composition /

Basem Al-Ashkar recorded various sounds using oud playing techniques. These recordings served as both demonstrative and musical material and were integrated into the electronic part. Sound objects were also created — sounds of water drops amplified, transformed and spatialised using an electronic algorithm.

The composer wrote an instrumental part for violin and oud, taking into account the material recorded beforehand. The composition work involved new, sometimes original playing techniques, discovered separately or jointly by the two artists.

The instrumental part was studied with the performer and revised during rehearsals. The final score includes annotations, a technical sheet (with installation and wiring diagrams), detailed comments and a legend of the symbols used.

Two original fonts of new musical symbols were created to notate the new playing techniques.

Electronic work /

A room at the CCR in Goutelas was fitted out and equipped with audio equipment for rehearsals. Next, an electronic part was designed — an algorithm in the Max-MSP environment processing the sounds of the violin, oud and water drops in real time. The algorithm also includes sounds related to the place of creation, including a recording of the bell of the Château de Goutelas.

After the first rehearsals, a sound balance was established and adjustments were made to the electronic part.

The result was the work Toutes choses, an original creation on the borderline between musical piece and sound installation.

Workshop and concert /

During the residency, Basem Al-Ashkar and Nikolai Khrust led a workshop for students at the Lycée d'Astrée in Boën. The activity was divided into two one-hour sessions, each for a separate group (approximately 20 to 30 students).

The workshop was attended by around 50 students and focused on improvisation in contemporary art music.

The closing concert, held at the Château de Goutelas, included three pieces: an instrumental improvisation by Basem Al-Ashkar on the oud in a traditional style (8'30"); the premiere of Toutes choses (33'30‘); and a joint instrumental and electronic improvisation (11'30’).

The concert was accompanied by spoken commentary explaining the ideas behind the works performed, facilitating a deeper understanding by the audience. Approximately 70 people attended.

Having previously lived in Noiretable, Nikolaï Khrust was able to invite residents of the region — friends and former neighbours from Noiretable, Saint-Didier, Boën, Montbrison and other towns in the Forez region, including local residents and refugees. The concert thus contributed to strengthening interpersonal and intercultural ties within the local community.

The concert was recorded in audio and video. Edited excerpts were published on the accounts of the Château de Goutelas and the artists.

"We hope that the final concert will remain a memorable experience for the audience and an invitation to deepen their knowledge of new music, while strengthening interpersonal and cultural ties within the Forez region. "

About the project Toutes choses /

The work Toutes choses enriches the repertoire for oud and violin and will be performed at new venues and festivals.

The playing techniques developed and recorded during the composition will form the basis for future research by Basem Al-Ashkar (possibly in collaboration with Nikolaï Khrust), which is planned to be published in the form of an educational book. This work will provide performers with new tools and composers with new ideas for creation.

The musical fonts created will be made available for free. They will contribute to the development of a contemporary notation system adapted to new playing techniques, facilitating communication between composers, publishers and performers, and ultimately with the audience.