On the evening of 24 July, Biennale Gherdëina 10 – (Future) Paradise Gardens, as part of its public programme, invites audiences to a concert by the percussion group konTakt at Piazza Rezia, in front of Bar Soviso, in Ortisei.
The South Tyrolean percussion ensemble, featuring musicians Georg Malfertheiner, Manfred Gampenrieder, Philipp Höller, and Christian Miglioranza, with the support of Rainer Furthner and Tobias Gasser, will perform Wolfgang Rihm’s monumental work TUTUGURI VI (Kreuze).
Inspired by a poem by Antonin Artaud, Tutuguri VI by German composer Wolfgang Rihm is considered one of the most radical and physically intense works of contemporary music. Conceived not only as a piece for six percussionists but also as a form of ritual sound theatre, the work transforms music into a physical and psychological experience at the limits of perception.
The piece lasts approximately 35 minutes and is written for six percussionists positioned spatially around the performance area. The instrumentation consists almost entirely of drums, tom-toms, congas, bass drums, slit drums, cymbals, and tam-tams; pitched percussion instruments are largely absent. The result is music without conventional pitches, driven entirely by rhythm and energy.
The concert is part of the public programme of Biennale Gherdëina 10 – (Future) Paradise Gardens, curated by Samuel Leuenberger. Throughout the summer, the programme activates Val Gardena and the Biennale’s exhibition sites, inviting visitors to engage with contemporary art through a variety of experiences.