Delicate sounds from France
One of contemporary music’s truly creative composers, Rene Aubry of France, will be returning to Greece for three shows this week, beginning with a performance in Athens tonight at the Kerameikos Club (58 Kerameikos & Marathonos) and two more at Thessaloniki’s Mylos Club (56 Andreou Georgiou) on Friday and Saturday. The composer, who has played here several times in recent years, will be returning to present a new album, «Invites sur La Terre» (Invited To Earth), an entirely acoustic effort. Like Aubry’s previous albums, including its immediate predecessor, 1998’s «Plaisirs D’Amour,» the new work is dominated by the sound of classical guitar. Aubry, a self-taught musician capable of playing a variety of instruments which include guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica and bouzouki, has released several albums of subtle music, guided by a delicate intuition for melody and gentle progression. The composer often cites the late Manos Hadjidakis as a mentor, and has dedicated an album to him. Aubry injects a variety of elements into his work, including classical music, rock and folk, to create his charming musical world. Though embellished by an array of instruments such as those mentioned above, as well as violin, trombone, trumpet, piano and accordion, Aubry’s tastefully delicate arrangement on «Invites Sur La Terre» steers his latest work clear of congestion. Perhaps his career’s earlier days, during which he wrote music for theater and dance, helped fashion Aubry’s discipline for the essentials of composition – or, what is needed and what is not. He has also written music for films, 1991’s «La Revolte des Enfants» and «Killer Kid» three years later. The self-taught musician was encouraged to commit himself seriously to music by the choreographer Carolyn Carlson back in the late 1970s. In the ensuing years, Aubry composed the music for a number of Carlson’s ballets. He has also worked with the puppeteer Philippe Geny.
