Graindelavoix Introphoto

The past as message in a bottle - disrupting the flow of current trends

Founded in 1999, Graindelavoix is an Antwerp-based music and art ensemble. Helmed by founder-director Björn Schmelzer, it is committed to offering a contemporary and critical interpretation of mainly historical, vocal repertoires.

First video clip from new CD-release EX NIHILO

Tomorrow, 4 October, is the official release of our new CD:

EX NIHILO - Polyphony beyond the Order of Things.

It opens with Josquin’s Praeter rerum seriem (“beyond the order of things”) and contains other motets by Josquin next to works by Obrecht, Ockeghem, De Wert and De Ribera.

Please watch here the videoclip of Bernardino de Ribera’s Vox in Rama in avant-première.

Björn Schmelzer's new article released and online downloadable for free!

Björn Schmelzer’s recent article "Performing by the Book (Next to the Book You Were Looking For) or: Aby Warburg’s “Good Neighbour” “ is released in a new book edited by Bruno Forment and the Orpheus Institute.

From "Warburg and finding the book next to the book you were looking for", over artistic procrastination and the unfinished, to "squeezing out the score":

this is obliged reading for all who like to understand more about Graindelavoix’s aesthetics and Schmelzer’s conceptual ideas and choices in particular!

The book and Björn’s article can be consulted and downloaded for free here:

OAPEN Library: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/93650

JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.11955034

or the article in pdf directly here.

Graindelavoix launches NACHLEBEN Podcast with first episode about Nicholas of Cusa and polyphony

Check out the first episode of the new graindelavoix podcast NACHLEBEN about Nicholas of Cusa and Polyphony!

Watch full episode here:

Photo of performance in a church
Zoomed in photo of performance in a church