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Les Percussions de Strasbourg: a new lease of life for the pioneers
Minh Tam Nguyen, soloist with Les Percussions de Strasbourg since 2013, took the helm of the ensemble founded by Jean Batigne in 1962 just two years ago. Interview.
How attached are you to Strasbourg?
Essentiel. We're based in the Hautepierre district of Strasbourg. It's a great neighborhood, very popular with 35 different nationalities. We have set up free percussion workshops called "Percustra". Every year, 15 workshops are held for secondary and primary school classes, and two others are open to everyone. For the past three years, our students have been performing at Musica in September. It's amazing to see how these workshops have rejuvenated our audience. We continue, more than ever, to bring today's music to life.
It's important not just to create new works, but to get them into the repertoire by playing them again. With a catalog of 350 pieces, much of the music we've been championing for 60 years is now well established in the repertoire, and that's a huge source of satisfaction. I also want to continue to emphasize transmission, especially now that I'm no longer teaching at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon. We're in the process of signing an agreement with the Haute école des arts du Rhin. We often welcome percussion and composition students. This allows us to meet young composers and see how they work. I present the project in Daniel d'Adamo's class. We invite these students to take part in our "Percustra" workshops. These are collective composition sessions: it's often a new way of composing for them, as they have to adapt to people who are amateurs, who don't know how to play.
How are the Percussions de Strasbourg doing?
The Covid-19 crisis brought our projects to a screeching halt, as it did for all ensembles, but Les Percussions is doing well. We mount one major production a year and have several recording projects. Last season, we recorded Ghostland by Pierre Jodlowski.
A record - and a vinyl - have been made of this fine production. This effervescence is salutary, especially when I think back to when I first joined Les Percussions seven years ago: back then, we only had ten dates a year, and people were asking us when we were going to close down. Today, excluding the health crisis, we give between 45 and 55 concerts a year.
What is the secret of this renaissance?
Historically, the ensemble has consisted of six percussionists. But to be able to sell more concerts, we decided to tour with two, three, five... We modified our commissioning policy accordingly... Another reason for this upsurge is the rejuvenation of the ensemble. There have been quite a few highly motivated young recruits. We've also caught up with electronic music and worked on our stage presence. The musician no longer has to hide behind his instrument. Working with actors and dancers is starting to become part of the conservatory routine: it's about time! And then, to exist, an ensemble has to take risks. But to be daring artistically, you need financial support.
What links do you have with Strasbourg ensembles specializing in contemporary music?
We see each other. The spirit is one of emulation rather than competition, even if public money is scarce. We're always trying to see how we can work together to come up with a collective season, working together without stepping on each other's toes.
For example, in the concerts we give at Hautepierre, we have invited the " Voix de Stras '" ensemble, directed by Catherine Bolzinger; in March, we were due to give a concert with the Hanatsu Miroir ensemble for their tenth anniversary. It's all a question of encounters. There are ensembles I don't know very well, that I come across, with whom we've never worked. But I'd like to open up more aesthetic fields: we played with Les chapeaux noirs, a local jazz ensemble. I'd like to work with a rapper, a DJ, and not necessarily contemporary creation...
Listen to Timelessness - Thierry de Mey on Arte Concert: https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/101276-002-A/les-percussions-de-strasbourg-timelessness/
Interview by Suzanne Gervais.
