Michele Mazzini: “I hope the audience feels a little dizzy afterwards.”
The Italian clarinetist Michele Mazzini is what you might call a musical jack‑of‑all‑trades. Classically trained, yet now equally at home in contemporary repertoire, jazz and improvised music. He is also active as a composer and as a member of the music‑theatre ensemble Oorkaan. As guest curator of the 76th edition of Dag in de Branding, Mazzini has put together a varied program around the theme of “Contrasts”. In the Nieuwe Kerk he will premiere his bass clarinet project Offertorium.
Michele, what was it like to curate a festival?
“In one word: fantastic. It was my first experience as a curator, and hopefully not the last. Working with Dag in de Branding was truly enjoyable. I mean, of course it was hard work, but always with a sense of playfulness that I genuinely value in a creative environment. I also found it special to have the opportunity to think about the bigger picture — about the coherence of a program that goes beyond my own role as a performer.”
Why the theme ‘Contrasts’?
“When I was invited as guest curator, one part of the program was already set: the closing concert by the Residentie Orkest with Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps and Willem Jeths’ new piano concerto. The binary form of that program intrigued me. The idea of opposition, of contrast. I programmed the remaining concerts around the same idea. Each concert is divided into two different parts, like the two sides of a coin. I tried to bring together musicians who at first glance have little in common, yet still manage to form a certain unity.”
Unity through difference. That sounds paradoxical…
“I know. And yet this idea of unity through contrast has become very important to me, all the more so given the political climate we live in today. What I want to emphasize is that contrast is not the same as polarization. Both revolve around difference, but where polarization relies on simplified black‑and‑white thinking, on standing rigidly opposed, contrasts are complementary: they enhance one another, they invite dialogue. At the same time, curating this program was also a question to myself: what does it mean to make music today?”
And what answer did you find?
Laughs: “That there is no single answer. The program has become a true rainbow of diversity. I hope the audience feels a little dizzy afterwards.”
What can you tell us about Offertorium, your new bass clarinet project premiering on 2 May in the Nieuwe Kerk?
“In the end it became a triptych — three pieces loosely connected to three deities from different cultures around the world. One part is dedicated to Raijin, a Japanese god of thunder. Then there is Shu, the Egyptian god of air. And Eos, the Greek goddess of dawn. For me, each of them represents different emotions and atmospheres. Three mental states that freely inspired me during the creation process.”
Finally: why did you choose to combine your performance in the Nieuwe Kerk with an invitation to the German vocal ensemble Sjaella?
“First and foremost: I think they’re wonderful. I love choral music, a cappella groups — especially in the rich acoustics of a church. At the same time, musically speaking, I have little in common with what they do. So again: contrast. Another factor was that I paid close attention to the balance between women and men on stage. That consideration runs like a thread through the entire program of this edition.”