Colour compositions

If Symphony No. 2 sounds radiant and exuberant, Symphony No. 6 is noticeably darker in tone. It is the first work in which Brewaeys stated that he composed without a preconceived plan—instead of following a tightly measured temporal structure, he allowed himself to be carried along by the music, to see where it might lead him. Whether this has anything to do with the striking presence of broad, expansive melodic lines (particularly in the violas and horns, which are given a generous lyrical role) alongside the familiar static harmonies and shimmering rhythmic energy is unclear, but it certainly lends the Sixth Symphony a restrained, dark-hued character.

This focus on colour permeates the programme as a whole. Composing for orchestra offers the (contemporary) composer not only the opportunity to work on a large scale with massive forces, but above all presents the collection of instruments as an invitation to explore sound combinations and the inexhaustible range of orchestral colours they make possible. From the beginning of the 20th century—with Claude Debussy rightly regarded as a pioneer in this respect—the idea emerged that timbre should take its place alongside melody, harmony and rhythm as a fully fledged musical parameter. Not only which notes form a melody or chord matters, but also which instruments play those notes, for the same pitch sounds profoundly different on a flute or a trumpet. The orchestral arrangements Luc Brewaeys made between 2002 and 2005 of Debussy’s Préludes (originally for piano) illustrate this perfectly. For these orchestrations, Brewaeys imposed upon himself the restriction of not altering a single note of Debussy’s score, nor doubling any notes an octave higher or lower—a common practice in orchestration. What remains is a play of shifting instrumental combinations, carefully chosen to illuminate Debussy’s music in a different—and unmistakably Brewaeys-like—light.

Yet when composing with timbre, other factors come into play besides which instrument plays which note: how are those notes played? A telling example can be found in the new Violin Concerto (2026) by Daan Janssens, which receives its world première here. One of the motivic ideas in the violin part consists of what appears to be the same note (a D) played three times, yet each time on a different string. The resulting difference in timbral nuance is subtle, but clearly perceptible. Janssens’ focus on sound is also evident in his use of electronics, which serve two functions. First, there is pre-recorded (and processed) material that allows the soloist to enter into dialogue not only with the orchestra, but also with an electronic version of themselves. In addition, the violin is electronically coloured live with epic reverb and the real-time addition of microtonal intervals (using a harmoniser). Here too, technology functions as an extension of the orchestra, expanding the palette of sound.