About - Expanding Time

About Expanding Time

Rasha Ragab, Winnie Brückner, Burkard Wehner, Werner Blau, Normisa Pereira da Silva, Christoph Nicolaus

THE CONTENT

In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, there were mystics who expressed their love for the divine, for the Creator, in texts with an erotic tone. Well known for this are the Sufis Rumi and Hafiz, as well as the Carmelite John of the Cross. Unfortunately less well known, but at least as significant, are Rabi’a al-‘Adawiyya (c. 717 – 801) and Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179).

Rabi’a al-‘Adawiyya, also known as Rabi’a of Basra, was one of the earliest and most important Sufi mystics to date, who sang of her love for the Creator in many poems.

Hildegard von Bingen lived 300 years later. She is considered the first representative of German mysticism in the Middle Ages. She was later followed by Mechthild of Magdeburg, Mechthild of Hackeborn, Gertrude of Helfta, Teresa of Avila and others with their minnesang poetry.

Burkard Wehner

Artistic director of the Berlin vocal ensemble Vox Nostra, after studying theology and German language and literature, he completed specialized studies in "Vocal Music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance" in Holland. He sings Gregorian melodies and other compositions of the Middle Ages from original manuscripts of the 10th to 13th centuries.

Rasha Ragab

The Nubian-Egyptian performing artist lives in Munich, studied law and art science in Cairo. Artistically, she began as a painter, and since 1998 she also works as a curator, among others in the Museum of Modern Art Cairo. She has been involved with Sufi mysticism for many years. Since 2012, she has worked together with Christoph Nicolaus as an artist duo.

THE AESTHETIC

the ensemble draws inspiration from free-flowing shapes, such as Hildegard’s compositions, monastic psalm chants, the Song of Songs, the poetic power of Sufi poetry, the extraordinary, spherical sounds of the stone harp and the other instruments, the sema, the water performance, and infinity.

The human breath is the measure of time for articulation and expression. Movements and site-specific positioning in space give the place itself its own voice.

The programme for each concert performance is created according to the dimensions of the space, the lighting and acoustic characteristics of the location, and its unique atmosphere and history.

Through the participants and the repertoire, a connection arises across centuries between Africa, America, the Arab world, Asia and Europe.

THE SOUND

of the performance is one of great introspection and meditative stillness.

The elements of the concert performance alternate and form a unity in a contemplative atmosphere. Guest artists are involved depending on the project.

PERFORMERS
Singers from the Berlin vocal ensemble VOX NOSTRA with Burkard Wehner (tenor and musical director of the vocal ensemble), Werner Blau (bass), Philipp Cieslewicz (alto) and others. Depending on the programme, the cast varies from 1 to 5 singers

and

Rasha Ragab (recitation and water performance)

Normisa Pereira da Silva (bass flute and shruti box) Christoph Nicolaus (stone harps and sema/whirling dervish dance)

Herbert Ekrem Walter (ney and oud)

Normisa Pereira da Silva

The Brazilian-born flutist, Normisa Pereira da Silva, has lived in Berlin for many years. In addition to her work with new music - focusing on silence and the limits of the audible - she has been working for several years with sacred music of the Middle Ages in original neume notation and its realization for C-, alto and bass flute.

Christoph Nicolaus

He is a visual artist, stone harp player as well as organizer and promoter of various art events, including "Kunst im Bau" and "Klang im Dach" (formerly "Klang im Turm"). Since 1994 exhibitions, concerts, performances. Since 2012 he works together with Rasha Ragab as an artist duo.

The stone harp is a little-known instrument: Specially carved stone blocks resonate through the touch of wet hands. The resulting sound is physically highly perceptible, and practically, with a great richness of overtones and a very broad sound spectrum.