The project title An Equal Music comes from Vikram Seth's eponymous novel from 1999, in which music is the main character and where the like-mindedness existing among musicians of a string quartet, plays a prominent role. The contemporary double reed instruments are composed of seven instruments (musette, oboe, oboe d'amore, English horn, baritone hobo, bassoon and contrabassoon). Although their numerous predecessors from the Renaissance were valued as a group, they rarely come across as a homogenous ensemble.
Is it possible to follow up on the full double reed consort from the Renaissance in the 21th century? Can modern oboists and bassoonists develop the skills to fathom the technique of the old instruments and thus perform concerts in which renaissance music as well as modern music echos?
In 2014 the new ensemble 'Artesis' was established to take on this challenge. This ensemble will use both the modern hobo family and the antecedents from the schalmei family. Principal investigator, Luk Nielandt, who already played old double-reed instruments, will look specifically for what was composed in the Renaissance and invite contemporary composers to compose for the new ensemble.
