Jouissance was formed in 1993 to explore a dialogue between Medieval and Byzantine chant, and contemporary culture.
- Deborah Kayser – soprano
- Jerzy Kozlowski – baritone/Bass
- Peter Neville – percussion
- Nick Tsiavos – double bass/ Artistic Director
- Anne Norman – shakuhachi
- Tyrone Landau – tenor
You Tube: Kyrie – Post Post Modern Hildegard by Jouissance.
“Jouissance have a very passionate following for their work, with a growing audience. I always feel it a privilege to hear them perform.”
Zsuzsi Soboslay. Canberra Times, May 2010.
“Generous, elastically expressive shakuhachi.”
Zsuzsi Soboslay. Realtime Arts, July 2010.
The musicians share a fascination with the mysticism, sensuality and rapture found in the works of Hildegard of Bingen, Peter Abelard and the Byzantine Rite. The engagement with this music is informed by the diverse nature of the performers’ experience: from New Complexity to Minimalism, from Japanese Zen to Jazz-Rock crossover, from Blues and Ethnic music to all forms of Opera. Improvisation is one of the elements used to site the exploration in an ‘unstable’ environment, encouraging new insights and glimpses of other possible readings of the ancient work in a contemporary framework.
In 1999 Jouissance toured to Europe for their first overseas concert tour, receiving outstanding reviews and standing ovations. They performed at the Festival of St Olav in the Nidrasdomen (Cathedral) in Trondheim, in the Tallin Concert Hall in Estonia, and the Parnu Town Hall in Estonia.
In 2002 Jouissance performed in St Patrick’s Cathedral (Melbourne), Pilgrim Church (Adelaide Festival) and St Andrew’s Cathedral (Sydney) with sponsorship from Australia Council, Adelaide Festival and the City of Melbourne.
In 2003 Jouissance took a new look at the Byzantine Rite in a series of 3 concerts sponsored by the city of Melbourne. Hagiographia on 24th June, Mikres Ikones on 26th August, and Akathistos on 16th October. These concerts also included works based on the music and texts of Hildegard of Bingen.
In 2004 Jouissance were joined by the gorgeous voice of Baritone/Bass – Jerzy Kozlowski in Performances in Ballarat and Melbourne.
Jouissance had 17 years of performance together, including live broadcasts from the Iwaki Auditorium and other studios for ABC Classic FM radio, and many festivals across Australia and in Europe, including the Oz Asia Festival and Utzon Music series in The Studio, Sydney Opera House in 2009.
Reviews
Recordings:
Akathistos Fragments
Jouissance’s new CD released through ABC in 2005.
“…passages of often highly syncopated singing from Kayser, answered by active contemporary instrumental responses. Norman makes the most of the special character of the shakuhachi: sharp, highly pitched accents and extended, stretched notes hover over the other instruments or make up short lead sections. Periods of sustained, strongly tongued vibrato feature within the most intense exchanges, such as the tightly controlled storm of instruments on a Thracian dance (track 5). Read The full review: Realtime Review
a DVD of their Mikres Ikones program recorded live in concert in 2003.