Natsumi Kumagishi "Corps sans corps"

【Composition/Performance/Electronics】

Natsumi Kumagishi / Corps sans corps for used reeds and electronics (2024)

Performance, Natsumi Kumagishi

Technical assistant: Simon Stoppiello

Sound, light and video engineering: Samuel Gfeller, Arthur Holliger, Beat Müller

The reed, it is an essential object to play the saxophone, in other words « the organ » of the instrument. In this piece, I focus on the reed’s role - to create and control the sound - and transform it in different way with electronics. The tiny reeds sing by themselves and also make saxophone sounds without instrument…corps sans corps (body without body). Antonin Artaud, French actor and poet, if I borrow his words « corps sans organ » (body without organ), this piece could be described as « corps sans corps ».

This is a performative and ecological piece written by composer/saxophonist who has looked for the way to reuse the used reeds for a long time.