Christian Winther Christensen – Children's Songs

Den danske komponist Christian Winther Christensens værk Children’s Songs, der er skrevet til det tyske Ensemble Ascolta, kredser om et barns univers. Kitschede små figurer og citater fra en verden af børnemusik – en verden, som gennem musikhistorien har antaget et væld af forskellige former – samt fortolkninger af de forunderlige lyde, der opstår i børns interaktion med legetøj, har været med til at forme dette intense, magiske værk for syv musikere og en radio.

Children's Songs blev uropført i en kortere version på Donaueschingen i 2022, men er nu med støtte fra KLANG blevet videreudviklet til et selvstændigt koncertværk på 45 minutter. Christian Winther Christensen har igennem sit mangeårige virke som komponist befundet sig i et legende musikalsk univers, men i Children's Songs har det legende fået en helt særlig betydning. Værkets musikalske referencer, har han fortalt, er ikke til musikken fra hans egen barndom. Derimod fik han en helt ny fascination af og forståelse for barnets univers, da han selv blev far til to.

Ensemble Ascolta har siden 2003 arbejdet for at udvide rammerne for kompositionsmusikken gennem koncerter, som inkorporerer elementer fra teater, video-, performance-, og installationskunst samt rockmusik – og nu altså også børnesange.

Children's Songs er støttet af SWR, KODA Culture and Statens Kunstfond.

Eventfotos af Astrid Karger & Heinz Bunse
Engelsk:

The Danish composer Christian Winther Christensen's work Children's Songs, written for the German Ensemble Ascolta, revolves around a child's universe. Kitschy little figurations and quotes from the world of children's music – a world which has taken a multitude of different forms throughout the history of music – as well as interpretations of the wondrous sounds that arise from children's interaction with toys contribute to shaping this intense, magical work for seven musicians and a radio.

Children's Songs was first performed in a shorter version at Donaueschingen in 2022 but has now been further developed with the support of KLANG into an independent concert work of 45 minutes. Throughout his many years as a composer, Christian Winther Christensen has operated within a decidedly playful musical universe, but in Children's Songs, the playful has taken on a very special meaning. The piece's musical references, he has said, are not to the music of his own childhood. On the other hand, he gained a completely new fascination with and understanding of the child's universe when he himself became a father of two. 

  Since 2003, Ensemble Ascolta has worked to expand the framework of classical music through concerts that incorporate elements from theatre, video, performance, and installation art as well as rock music – and now also children's songs.