BREATHE

August the 18th saw the release of Maria Elizabeth´s instrumental work BREATHE, which is support by The Danish Arts Council and recently received airplay on the Danish National Radio.

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Listen 

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The Art Museum “Kunstcentret Silkeborg Bad” in Silkeborg, Denmark, has installed BREATHE as a sound installation as part of their exhibition “Amazing Nature”.

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Long walks in the forest brought Maria Elizabeth´s focus on the beech tree, which especially during the Covid Lockdown presented itself with an even greater poise and strength in the absence of noise from cars and planes. 

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To Maria Elizabeth the forest became a room of it´s own with the inhabitants “The Tree People”. It brought attention to the parallel existence of human beings and the beech tree. The round shape of the tree trunk is to Maria Elizabeth a symbol of the circle movement of Nature. 

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The shifting of the light caused by alternating temperatures, shifting winds and the rotation of the Earth, gave focus to the fact that like human beings the woods and the trees are never static, but forever changing, breathing and existing in temporary circles.

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This inspired the four movements of BREATHE:

• The Euphoric Beech (the beech tree seen in the light from East – spring – childhood)

• The Passionate Beech (the beech tree seen in light from South – summer – youth)

• The Mature Beech (the beech tree seen in the light from West – fall – adulthood middle aged)

• The Silent Beech (the beech tree seen in the light from North – winter – old age)

 

“There is a beauty in the fragility of life. The temporary circles that all living beings are part of contain a beginning and an end while others continue like growth rings in a tree. In today´s way of life most people have lives that distance themselves to the Nature´s circle movement. We don´t eat fruits and vegetables of the season but import food from distant places. We don´t move around using our senses but often rely on GPS. We don´t fall asleep when the sun sets but sit up late at night in the artificial light from the TV or computer. We work hard at our jobs each day, regardless of the fact that our inner clock sometimes asks us to slow down. We create inflexible schedules for ourselves not affected by seasons, the natural light or temperatures. Perhaps we – human beings as well as Nature – would be in a better state of balance, if we human beings were more in tune with the natural circle of life.”

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                                                                                                            Maria Elizabeth -

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BREATHE was recorded at Frederiksdal Castle by the renowned Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen and guitarist, Allan Sjølin, conducted by James Sherlock.

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With the composition of BREATHE Maria Elizabeth is back in touch with her background in classical music from The Royal Academy of Music, Denmark and The Manhattan School of Music, New York.

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Nature is a recurring theme for Maria Elizabeth. With the album “Circle the Woods” from 2018, produced in collaboration with producer and songwriter, Henrik Balling, the intent was to explore a new sensitivity towards Nature.

 

The following album “Prins” (“The Prince”) from 2022, was co-written with renowned author Ib Michael, and contained the sound of the ocean as a thread weaving the music together.

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På dansk:

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BREATHE portrætterer bøgetræet set i lyset fra de fire verdenshjørner.

Lange gåture i Frederiksdal Skov, særligt under coronanedlukningen, fik komponist og musiker Maria Elizabeth til at fokusere på bøgetræet, der i fraværet af hvid støj fra motorveje og fly fremstod med stor pondus.

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Fornemmelsen af det fælles åndedrag gennem fotosyntesen gav hende følelsen af at vandre blandt ”træfolket” og der opstod en længsel efter kunstnerisk at indfange fornemmelsen af dette nærvær med bøgetræet.  Ud af denne oplevelse, voksede kompositionen BREATHE, der i øjeblikket kan opleves på Kunstcentret Silkeborg Bad som del af museets udstilling ”Amazing Nature”.

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Træstammens runde form er for Maria Elizabeth et symbol på naturens cirkelbevægelse. Løvets forgængelighed og lysets forskellighed betyder, at skoven aldrig er statisk eller konstant. Dens stemning og tilstand skifter med temperaturer, vind og klodens rotation.

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"Der er en form for skønhed i den skrøbelighed, som al liv er formet af. At enhver cirkel har en begyndelse og en slutning og, at andre fortsætter som årringe i et træ. Det moderne menneske lever næsten i modsætning til den naturlige cirkel, vi er en del af. Vi spiser ikke årstidens frugter, men importerer fra fjerne egne. Vi færdes ikke rundt med vores egen retningssans, men bruger GPS. Vi går ikke i seng, når solen går ned, men sidder i kunstigt lys fra TV eller computer til sent på aftenen. Vi præsterer hver dag på vort arbejde, uanset om vores indre ur beder os om at tage en dag i et roligere tempo. Vi deler vores hverdage op skematisk, uanset om det er sommer eller vinter, lyst eller mørkt, varmt eller koldt. Vi lever i højere grad efter vores logiske tankegang, end efter vores sanser. Måske kunne det gavne såvel naturen som vores egen sundhed, hvis vi havde mulighed for at lytte mere til nuet og leve i rundere former og organiske rum."

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                                                                                                                              Maria Elizabeth -

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BREATHE er indspillet af Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen og guitarist Allan Sjølin under ledelse af dirigent James Sherlock på Frederiksdal Slot.

 

Med BREATHE dykker Maria Elizabeth ned i sin klassiske baggrund fra Det Jydske Musikkonservatorium og The Manhattan School of Music i New York.

 

Tema-afsættet i naturen er en tilbagevendende kerne for komponisten. Med albummet ”Circle the Woods” fra 2018, som hun producerede i samarbejde med Henrik Balling, koncentrerede hun sit fokus om netop dét at sanse naturen.

 

Det efterfølgende album ”Prins” fra 2022, som hun skrev i samarbejde med forfatter Ib Michael, inkluderede bl.a. lyden af havet som en tilbagevendende rød tråd gennem hele albummet.

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