Opposite to what one might expect, it is not at all self-evident that musicians and composers engage in a dialogue about the piece they write and perform. On the contrary, it has always been very unusual for them to do so. This, however, is changing: more and more the idea of collaborative creation is taking hold.
This film shows an example of how this change is coming about. It was filmed during the “Musicians Meet Composers I-Lab”, from 29-31 October 2007 at the Walter Maas Huis, a co-production of Insomnio and the WMH. In this lab fourteen musicians and eight composers worked in changing combinations on new pieces of music, meanwhile reflecting on the collaboration, communication and division of roles between musicians and composers. Four external observers reflected on the creative process.
Stefan Metz, the well-known cello player of the Orlando Quartet and founder of the Dutch String Quartet Academy, gives a masterclass to the promising Matangi Quartet at the Walter Maas Huis in Bilthoven. Metz takes the players and the listeners into the string quartet by Bartok, and discusses his ideas about artistry; he shows us what it means to go from playing really well to excellent performance.
Bert Mulder, information expert and adviser to the Dutch government, speaks about the fundamental transition our society is currently going through; as the ‘society of meaning’ is coming into being, the role of culture and art is also changing. Many people seem to experience a gap at the heart of our modern world, and they go looking for new meanings; very often art and artists represent the site where these new meanings are found. The experience of art can teach us something: the way personal inspiration goes together with everyday practice and work. There is a need to further deepen the dialogue between the arts and business, to define more clearly what exactly is the art of the new professional. Such Connecting Conversations are what Art in Conversation is about. [Movie in Dutch]
