Irrational - Chaya Czernowin

Originally conceived for Loadbang - a New York chamber ensemble of trumpet, clarinet, trombone, and piano - Irrational was later reimagined for saxophone quartet at Czernowin’s invitation by Adi Snir with and for Ensemble du Bout du Monde. From its inception, the piece is a deliberate test: can the quartet of uniquely distinct voices stay coherent under pressure, or will they fracture into chaotic fragments? Irrational unfolds as a constant negotiation between unity and fragmentation. At times the quartet coalesces into a single organism - breathing, trembling, shifting as one. At other moments it rips apart: individual lines sprawl into untamed gestures, splintering textures into jagged shards.

Czernowin’s sonic world is resolutely modern yet punctuated by flashes of unexpected levity. Within dense, detailed layers lie hints of comic relief - sudden eruptions or absurd twists that shift the emotional balance, testing both the ensemble and the listener’s expectations. The drama of Irrational lives in its constant brinkmanship: risk and reward are inseparable here. A fracture might lead to profound insight - or total collapse.

In performance, the quartet becomes more than instruments. They are bodies in tension, voices in flux. At every moment the question pulses: can the group hold? Or will the pressure yield a beautiful, volatile disintegration?

(Program note by Don-Paul Kahl)

EBM PERFORMANCE RECORD:

2025:
19 October 2025 - Boston, MA, USA - New England Conservatory - LINK

2024:
19 October 2024 - Catania, Italy - Tinni Tinni Arts Club - Festival internazionale Classica e dintorni XXI edizione
20 October 2024 - Palermo, Italy - Sala Perriera ai Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa - Curva Minore Contemporary Sounds

2023:
28 April 2023 - Hannover, Germany - Sprengel Museum - Klangbrücken Festival
26 November 2023 - Berlin, Germany - Soundplasma Festival