Ensemble Syntagma & Ensemble SurPlus - Danilevski: Kōans – Fragments of Consciousness (2016)

Koan collections are public records of the notable sayings and actions of Zen disciples and masters. These stories, dialogues, questions, or statements are used in Zen practice to provoke the “great doubt” and test a Zen student’s progress. + Alexandre Danilevski is a contemporary composer who has used these texts as the basis for this work, which is scored for small vocal and instrumental ensembles. The Russian-born French composer, lutenist, and Vielle player is based in Metz, France and serves as the artistic director of “Syntagma,” an early music ensemble noted for their interpretation of Russian and Ukranian baroque composers. They can be heard on this release.