“An unpredictable and vast sound world”

A festive fanfare to kick off the Forward Festival? Not on your life! Chloë Abbott explains why Sofia Gubaidulina’s Quattro for two trumpets and two trombones has been chosen for the opening. As a Lucerne Festival Contemporary Leader, the British trumpeter is part of the team of curators for this year’s Forward festival.

“When you think of brass instruments, fanfare music tends to be the first thing that comes to mind. By performing Quattro at the beginning of Lucerne Festival Forward 2024, we are challenging the idea of what a fanfare or brass signal can sound like (thus the title of the opening concert, ‘Signals’).

Sofia Gubaidulina ushers us into an unpredictable, vast sound world. She creates a blurry interplay between simplicity and complexity. Some parts are quite chaotic – it becomes hard to decipher what’s happening – whereas other parts are very tranquil and serene.

Throughout the piece, a variety of conversational relationships and dialogues unfold between the players. This can be likened to how the Contemporary Leaders embark on the process of curation for the Forward Festival, so I think it’s very fitting that we begin the Festival with this piece.”