La harpa da taghel – Kontrabach
deszpot #008
Edition of 300
La harpa da taghel for contrabass clarinet, double bass and tape is a tribute to Theo Candinas and composed by David Sontòn Caflisch.
The work is conceived for the duo’s distinctive instrumentation—contrabass clarinet and double bass—and develops from several interrelated points of reference: the extreme low register of both instruments, the duo’s long-standing engagement with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and their geographical and cultural background in the canton of Graubünden.
Drawing on these elements, Caflisch builds the piece around material derived from the opening chorus of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The composition unfolds as a large-scale arch form of over 30 minutes, with a slow opening and closing section framing an extended central part structured by repetitive, rhythmically defined patterns.
The title refers to the Tagelharpa, an early bowed lyre from Northern Europe, known for its deep register and loosely tensioned strings. While not used directly, its sound characteristics—dark, calm and resonant—informed the sonic imagination of the work.
Instead of setting an existing text, Caflisch wrote a short four-line poem in Romansh as a tribute to the writer Theo Candinas, whose work is noted for its distinct voice and critical perspective on society. The text is performed vocally by the instrumentalists and was recorded, processed and fragmented in the studio. The resulting tape part accompanies the live performance and forms an integral layer of the composition.
Jeu rietschel sil teppi
fimond ina pippa
lu mondel en stalla
e mulschel las vaccas
I puke on the carpet
and smoke a pipe
then I head downstairs
and milk the cows
Kontrabach
Daniel Sailer & Marc Lardon
Bass and contrabass clarinetist Marc Lardon and double bassist Daniel Sailer founded the duo Kontrabach in 2016. Since then, they have developed a new programme each year.
Initially, their repertoire focused on works by J.S. Bach. In the duo’s arrangements, these pieces are reinterpreted through the unusual instrumentation of contrabass clarinet and double bass, revealing a distinctly different perspective.
Lardon and Sailer’s interpretations bridge Baroque and contemporary approaches. The music often sounds two octaves lower than expected; chords at times evoke cluster-like textures, while remaining harmonically coherent and clearly perceptible. At the same time, the duo’s work is characterised by a strong sense of independence and a distinct sonic identity.
In 2024, Kontrabach commissioned a new composition for the first time.