Konzert Ensemble "KONTRABACH"

KONTRABACH - Friedemann Treiber

Kontrabach is deep, Kontrabach is dark, yet Kontrabach is an experience for everyone, a broadening of horizons.

In the arrangements of Kontrabach, J.S. Bach's music shows itself from a completely unique, new side. The special feature is the very unconventional and daring instrumentation with double bass clarinet and double bass. Marc Lardon and Daniel Sailer manage the balancing act between baroque and contemporary with their interpretations. The music usually sounds two octaves lower than usual, some of the chords are more reminiscent of clusters, but the music remains harmonious and comprehensible at all times and at the same time impresses with a new quality and independence.

"In last year's program, we took a step into the present with the world premiere of the work "La harpa da taghel" by David Sontòn Caflisch from the year 2024. And this year's program will once again feature contemporary music alongside Bach. The combination of double bass clarinet and double bass is virtually predestined for new musical experiments. Once again, it is a composition that was written especially for us. The Basel composer Friedemann Treiber has created the work "Expanding fields and horizons" for us, which we will premiere in this year's program.
The composition lasts about 30 minutes and forms one half of the concert, the other half we will play music by J.S. Bach."

Marc Lardon, double bass clarinet
Daniel Sailer, double bass


Friedemann A. Treiber (*1971)
"Expanding fields and horizons" for double bass clarinet and double bass (2025)

Back in 2003, David Sontòn Caflisch commissioned me to write a quartet based on sculptures by the artist Sibilla Caflisch for flute (also piccolo), violin, bass clarinet (also contrabass clarinet) and double bass.
This work was premiered with the ö! ensemble in 2004 in Chur under the title "Perspektiven".
In addition to David Sontòn Caflisch,violin and Riccarda Caflisch,flute
and the two musicians from "Kontrabach" Daniel Sailer, double bass and Marc Lardon, bass and double bass clarinet.
Even back then, I was attracted by the unusual combination of two high and two low
instruments and the exploration of their instrumental and musical possibilities.
In 2025, the duo "Kontrabach" approached me to ask if I could write a work for the special
double bass and double bass clarinet. I was fascinated by the idea. "Expanding fields and horizons" follows on from the instrumentation of "Perspektiven" (2003/04), but goes a decisive step further, both in terms of the exclusive use of two very low instruments and the temporal expansion. Despite the extremely low register, both instruments nevertheless have an enormous range right up to the high register. Again, it was very appealing for me to explore the limits of the two instruments, in keeping with the title "Expanding fields and horizons", so that it sounds like much more than a duo of two low instruments to the audience. The work bears the motto "... de profundis..." from Psalm 130 of the Old Testament.
Based entirely on this psalm, it is about transcendental expansions in several attempts and waves, interspersed here and there with minimalist elements, from an initially profoundly gloomy sound world to a hopeful brightening at the end.
In the course of the approximately 30-minute work, both instruments increasingly open up the entire tonal ambitus from the low to the high register.
The work also plays with the listener's sense of time, so that many musical
developments appear as if in slow motion.
Basel, October 2025


Concert program:

1. "Duetto No.1" in E minor, BWV 802
2. "Adagissimo" from the Capriccio in B flat minor, BWV 992
3. "Fuga in C minor" (unfinished), BWV 906
4. "Expanding fields and horizons" Friedemann Treiber 2025 (premiere)

Concert dates

Fri.20.2.2026, 18:30h Malans, Sternen-Café
Tue.24.2.2026, 17h Arosa, Bergkirchli
Wed.25.2.2026, 20h Feldis, ref. church
Thu.26.2.2026 19h Maienfeld, ref. church
Sat.28.2.2026 20h Andeer, ref. church
Tue,3.3.2026 20h Basel, Museum Kleines Klingental

Thu.7.5.2026, 20:15h Ilanz, Cinema Silplaz
Sat.9.5.2026, 20h Scharans, ref. church
Sun.10.5.2026 20h Zurich, Kunstraum Walcheturm
Tue.12.5.2026 19:30h Chur, Postremise


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.