Cellist uses curved bow for commissioned music
Never reluctant to tread on unorthodox musical ground, cellist Nikos Veliotis, a musician trained in classical music who, besides his regular duties with the renowned Athens-based Orchestra of Colors, has also organized – and performed at – numerous free improvisation events in Athens over the past year, will be adding to his experimental ventures this coming Monday with a solo cello performance featuring a rarely used, curved bow to execute new works written especially for him and the bow’s unique capabilities. The bow, known as a Bach Bogen after its inventor Michael Bach, an acclaimed German cellist, is equipped with an intricate mechanism that allows the player to slacken and tighten the bow’s horsehair, enabling the instrumentalist to play concurrently on anything between one and four strings. «This bow’s an entirely new world, which means that to be able to use it requires particular technique and study. Without a doubt, the display (of its capabilities) will be the show’s main feature,» said Veliotis in a recent interview, in which he also highlighted its rareness. His Bach Bogen, the musician asserted, may be the only one in the country, while he estimated that there were probably about 100 in all worldwide. With its roots dating back to the Renaissance, the curved bow has appeared in ever more developed forms over the past three decades. The Bach Bogen, which its designer has used for world premieres of much new work written for him, including compositions by John Cage, a pioneer of experimental music, is considered the bow’s most perfected form. Besides the cello, it is also crafted for viola and violin. At next Monday’s concert in Athens, Veliotis will premiere seven new works by seven composers, mostly young, both Greek and foreign, who were commissioned by the cellist to compose with the Bach Bogen in mind. Among them are Daryl Runswick, head of the composition faculty at London’s Trinity College of Music, where the 30-year-old Veliotis studied; Michalis Adamis, who has written prolifically for Greek theater and television; Dimitris Kamarotos, an avid experimentalist who is firmly associated with theatrical productions; Haris Kittos, a first-prize winner of a recent Young Composers competition held by the Athens Concert Hall; and Dai Fujikura, a Japanese artist with whom Veliotis had studied at the London conservatory. «The composers are all different, both in their approach and sound. Some have written more condensed work, others more minimalistic. There’s a variety of climaxes and anti-climaxes as well,» Veliotis noted. «All the compositions could be categorized as what is known as ‘modern classical.’ It’s going to be a purely avant-garde concert,» he added. Veliotis pointed out that despite the upcoming concert’s compositional variety, the bow functioned as the common link. «It has a very characteristic sound. Even so, it’s remarkable how different each composition is. But I’m very satisfied with how they’ve turned out,» the cellist said. «Playing commissioned material also involves the challenge of being exposed to difficulties that, ultimately, force you to research the bow’s capabilities at a deeper level. The composers have tried things that would never have crossed my mind,» he added. His strong interest in free improvisation and sound experimentation on the cello, Velotis said, eventually drew him to the Bach Bogen bow. «I’ve been researching the instrument’s sound textures for years through free improvisation. So, it was only natural that I’d become interested as soon as I discovered it. That’s how my association with the bow began before I began thinking about it from a compositional angle,» Veliotis said. Over the past year, the cellist has been organizing free improvisation events at the intimate Small Music Theater in the Koukaki district. They have attracted leading European experimentalists such as the British saxophonist Evan Parker, Belgian pianist Fred Van Hove, as well as top local figures, including the saxophonist Floros Floridis and the vocalist Savina Yiannatou. The material at Monday’s show will be accompanied by video imagery prepared by Coti K, a local producer, mostly in the electronica field, and Dimitris Charitos, a designer of audiovisual installations. Veliotis has chosen a small theater, the Thiseion Theater in the downtown Psyrri district (7 Tournavitou, Psyrri) to stage the show, both for its acoustic qualities and flexibility as a venue. «The music and imagery won’t be compatible. It will also be a conflicting relationship. I’m not quite sure how it’s going to be. I’ve given them a free hand and they’re still preparing it,» Veliotis said. Veliotis and his visual collaborators intend to transform the theater’s set up for maximum effect. Entrance will be free, while all the production’s collaborators have contributed free of charge. «I don’t believe that it’s necessary to have a limitless budget for worthwhile ventures,» said Veliotis. «You can do something with anything.»
