Perspectives For The 22nd Century BIRGÉ

Jean-Jacques Birgé - flute (plexiglas, built by Vitet), percussion, phonography
Homeira Abrishami, Blick Bassy, Rafael Carlucci, Vilma Parado Dejoras, Dana Diminescu, Linda Edsjö, Jalal Gajo, Alba Gomez Ramirez, Nikoleta Kerinska, Madeleine Leclair, Birgitte Lyregaard, Gary May, Manolis Mourtzakis, Anna Prangenberg, Monika Stachowski, Valentina Vallerga, Sun Sun Yip - voices

Idiophones found on the ruins of MEG (ching, châp lek and châp yai, cymbals from Thailand ; jota cymbals from Assam, India ; kin bowl-bell from Japan , bowl-bell from China

Video Clip by Nicolas Clauss on Vimeo

Jean-Jacques Birgé - field recording, keyboard, reed trumpet (invented by Vitet), flute
Nicolas Chedmail - trumpet

Sources : Germans. March. Flutes and drums. Swabia, 1930 (CD4 : 30) ; Walloons (Belgium). Dance of the « Gilles de Binche ». Drums, bells, 1950 (CD4 :18) ; Haussas (Niger Territory). Drums accompanying a wrestling display in Tahoua, 1948 (CD1 : 2) ; Tuaregs (Tahoua region). Program music: attack of a herd. Reed flute, 1948 (CD1 : 5) ; Ethiopians (Kemant and Amharas). Amhara declamation of war theme. Man’s voice, 1950 (CD1 : 16) ; Basques (French Basque country). Sword dance. Flutes and drums, 1952 (CD3 : 24)

Jean-Jacques Birgé - crystal organ, field recording
Nicolas Chedmail - French horn
Sylvain Lemêtre - percussion
Elsa Birgé and Jean-François Vrod - vocals.

Sources : German Swiss. Alpsegen (Alp blessing). Alp horn. Canton of Schwyz, 1942 (CD4 : 26) ; German Swiss. Alpenfahrt (Going up to the alp). Canton of Appenzell, Wasserauen, 1942 (CD4 : 27)

Jean-Jacques Birgé - Jew’s harps, khen, field recording
Nicolas Chedmail - French horn
Antonin-Tri Hoang - bass clarinet

Sources : Fulahs (Niger territory). Flutes duet played within a mortar, 1949 (CD1 : 11) ; Norwegians. Dance (halling). Jew’s harp. Setesdal, 1938 (CD4 : 46) ; Turks (Central Anatolia). Program Music : The story of the black ewe. Flute without mouthpiece (kaval), 1938 (CD1 : 29) ; Estonians. Dance. Jew’s harp, 1938-1939 (CD4 : 52) ; Basques (French Basque country). Mountain dweller cries. Women’s voices, 1952 (CD3 : 23)

Jean-Jacques Birgé - prepared piano
Homeira Abrishami, Blick Bassy, Rafael Carlucci, Vilma Parado Dejoras, Dana Diminescu, Linda Edsjö, Jalal Gajo, Alba Gomez Ramirez, Nikoleta Kerinska, Madeleine Leclair, Birgitte Lyregaard, Gary May, Manolis Mourtzakis, Anna Prangenberg, Monika Stachowski, Valentina Vallerga, Sun Sun Yip - voices

Jean-Jacques Birgé - field recording (permanent exhibition, 2^nd basement of the MEG). Jean-François Vrod - vocals

Jean-Jacques Birgé - keyboard, brass
Nicolas Chedmail - trumpet, French horn, saxhorn
Antonin-Tri Hoang - alto sax, bass clarinet
Sylvain Lemêtre - percussion.

Sources : Gaels (Hebrides : Isle of Barra). Work song (tweed weaving) : "Di Sathuirne ghabhmi mulad" (Saturday I was sad). Women’s voices, 1938 (CD4 : 10) ; Georgians. Dance song. Men’s choir. Western Georgia (CD2 : 3) ; Macedonia Serbians (Skoplje region). Navvy song. Men’s choir and two flutes (supilki), 1951 (CD2 : 26) ; Georgians. Farm work song. Solo and men’s choir. Eastern Giorgia (CD2 : 2)
Video Clip by Sonia Cruchon on Vimeo
Article on French Blog

Jean-Jacques Birgé - lamellaphones Array mbira and ikembe, vocals
Elsa Birgé - vocals

Jean-Jacques Birgé - piano, harmonizer
Jean-François Vrod - violin
Antonin-Tri Hoang - bass clarinet

Sources : Caribou Eskimos (Hudson Bay). Magic incantation for seal-hunt, 1938 (CD4 : 56) ; Africans. Republic of Congo, Ouesso region. Yeli, magical elephant hunting song. Women’s solo and choir. Babinga Bangombé Pygmies. Pygmy camp near Gandicolo village, 1946 (CD1 : 18)
Video clip by Nicolas Clauss on Vimeo
Article on French Blog

Jean-Jacques Birgé - keyboard

Source : Basques (French Basque country). Scenes of improvisation contest. Men’s voice, 1952 (CD3 : 22)

Jean-Jacques Birgé - keyboard, percussion, harmonizer
Jean-François Vrod - violin

Idiophones found on the ruins of MEG (gangha gong from Philippines, bronze drum from Thailande, bell from Ivory Coast, sistrum from Mali, wooden slit-drum from Cameroon, jota cymbals from Assam, India)

Sources : Bretons. Song : "Gwerz of the just soul". Man’s voice. Léon, 1952 (CD3 : 14) ; Romanians (Old Romania). Dance song (sirba). Woman’s voice, guitar, two violins, bass. Oltenia, Gorj region, 1939 (CD2 : 17)

Jean-Jacques Birgé - music box, Happy apple sound toy, field recordiing

Jean-Jacques Birgé - brake (electro-acoustic bass with variable tension, built by Vitet), erhu, harmonizer, keyboard, field recording
Sylvain Lemêtre - percussion

Source : Takasago Formosans. Ritual song for millet-sowing: "Passipot-pot". Men’s choir. Bunun tribe, 1943 (CD1 : 39) ; Kabyles (At Yänni tribe, Djurdjura Kabylia). Dance tune (in summer after the harvest on the threshing grounds). Flute (ajuaq) and frame drum (abandir), 1952 (CD1 : 28) ; Japanese. Afternoon ritual song of rice-planting : "Tave-Uta". Men’s voice. Gumma district (CD1 : 35)

Jean-Jacques Birgé - keyboard, field recording
Antonin-Tri Hoang - bass clarinet
Nicolas Chedmail - blowing
Sylvain Lemêtre - percussion

Sources : Bulgarians (Sofia region). Program music: "The lost herd". Shepherd flageolet (CD2 : 22) ; Fulahs (Niger territory). Calls to the herd, 1948-1949 (CD1 : 9) ; Asturians. Cowherd’s song : vaqueirada. Man’s voice, tambourine (pandeiro). Luarca region, 1952 (CD3 : 32)

Video-clip by Eric Vernhes on Vimeo
Article on French Blog

Jean-Jacques Birgé - lamellaphone Array mbira, field recording
Jean-François Vrod -  violin
Sylvain Lemêtre - percussion

Source : Greek (Asia Minor). Lullaby. Woman’s voice. Ionia, 1930 (CD2 : 31)
Clip vidéo de Sonia Cruchon on Vimeo
Article on French Blog

Jean-Jacques Birgé - synthesizer, harmonizer
Antonin-Tri Hoang - alto sax, bass clarinet
Jean-François Vrod - violin
Sylvain Lemêtre - percussion

Sources : Africans (Ivory Coast). Song for entertainment. Men’s choir and dyulu forked harp, struck bottles, 1952 (CD1 : 20) ; French (Berry). Two Bourrées (hurdy-gurdy), 1948 (CD3 : 12 and 13)

Vdeo-clip by John Sanborn on Vimeo
Article sur le Blog

Jean-Jacques Birgé interviewed by Michel Masserey on Radio Télévision Suisse, Vertigo program, about CD Perspectives for the 22nd Century
06/08/2020

Jean-Jacques Birgé interviewed by Benoît Perrier on Radio Télévision Suisse, L ‘écho des pavanes program, about CD Perspectives for the 22nd Century
Extracts : MEG 2152, Aksak Tripalium, Ensemble Ratatam with Elsa Birgé, Nicolas Chedmail, Sylvain Lemêtre, Jean-François Vrod, Antonin-Tri Hoang
06/25/2020