A One Minute Symphony for the birthday girl Residentie Orkest
By composition student Virág Anna Virág
At the Nov. 22, 2024 concert, Residentie Orkest celebrated its 120th anniversary. Especially for this, the young composition student Virág Anna Virág wrote a One Minute Symphony titled Birds aren't real. Where did she get her inspiration and what does the title mean?
A One Minute Symphony fitting into the program simultaneously celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Residentie Orkest . That was the assignment given to composition student Virág Anna Virág . "The question got me thinking about how different music is today compared to 120 years ago. How differently did, for example, Debussy, Schoenberg or Bartók compose? Today, in the age of artificial intelligence, in a world turned upside down, it's very different to write music. It is wonderful that, despite all these changes, there are institutions like this orchestra that, although they have adapted to the spirit of the times, have remained more or less in the same form."
Inspiration
"My inspiration came from a 'silent' interview with flutist Eline van Esch. During a walk in the Westduin Park we talked about what we all saw in nature. When we found the right spot, a higher point from which we could overlook the whole area, we sat in silence for a while and looked at the view. It was a fantastic sight to see the small vibrations of nature creating a constantly undulating landscape. A funny moment was when we both noticed the same strange bird, which enthusiastically flew close to us, flapped its wings in one spot, pooped and then flew away. It was an extremely comical phenomenon and this scene reminded me of a conspiracy theory called "birds aren't real," which Peter McIndoe once concocted as a joke. In it, he claimed that between 1959 and 1971, the U.S. government had replaced all birds with surveillance drones. The move humorously suggests that birds sit on power lines to recharge and use feces on cars as a method of tracking citizens. It also reminded me of how often I sit in front of my computer, absorbed in something totally irrelevant, unaware of what is going on, rather than connecting with the world around me. Since then, by the way, I've stepped out of my comfort zone a lot more and tried to be present in the moment."
"My inspiration came from a 'silent' interview with flutist Eline van Esch"
- Virág Anna Virág
Vulnerable
"I usually set myself a deadline at the beginning of each assignment and project. Until then, of course, the idea is in my head, but I don't actively work on it. After I write down the first note, fortunately it goes pretty smoothly. Of course, this does not mean that I did not have doubts in the meantime. Usually I have a somewhat difficult relationship with my compositions. It is very difficult to look at the piece from the outside, because I feel extremely vulnerable to both the audience and the musicians when I present a piece. That's part of the beauty of it, of course, but it's hard to think with a clear head. That is why I am so grateful to my teachers Peter Adriaansz and Mayke Nas for their advice with. In addition to them, I must also mention Jan van de Putte and Márton Menyhért, who contributed important insights into the writing of this One Minute Symphony."
Dung beetle
"The title comes from the aforementioned conspiracy theory. By the way, I only now realize how many of my pieces have an animal in the title! I have Therapy of a Bipolar Bear, Ermine for a baroque orchestra and now Birds aren't real. The next one should include something with anteater or dung beetle, my favorite animal names in Dutch right now," she says with a laugh. "I hope the audience will get a thumbnail of this slightly sarcastic, slightly thought-provoking and playful stream of thought I had, but probably other thoughts and feelings will come up for some people. I have found that when I talk to people in the audience, they often notice things in the play that I had never thought of. Those are fantastic moments! I love hearing the audience's impressions. They can be very inspiring and often make me think about my own music."
Virág Anna Virág's musical gift will be heard at the sold-out Beethoven 5 concert on Friday evening, Nov. 22.
