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CURRENT PROJECTS > Undress And Fly
(castellano más abajo - català a sota - français en bas)
Description
Listening to Undress And Fly, one feels simultaneously caressed and skinned alive. Josep-Maria Balanyà creates a musical universe of rare intensity. His performance explores human emotions made audible: an endless dialogue between love and hate, tenderness and nakedness.
The work, lasting fifty minutes, unfolds without pause: each motif grows from the previous one, creating a continuous, dynamic form that transcends conventional structures. Balanyà’s improvisations blend influences from contemporary music and jazz, where Reimann and Taylor meet Stravinsky, Prokofiev, or even Bach, giving rise to a language that is raw and radical, yet lyrical, playful, and structurally precise.
For years, Balanyà has been exploring the sonic possibilities of the piano, including works for prepared piano, as documented in albums such as Elements of Development or Un peu à gauche SVP. Recently, he has intensified his “concerts on the keys” (JMB), using the sostenuto pedal and subtle reverb and delay effects to expand the instrument’s timbral spectrum. Some textures may evoke electronics, but they are entirely the result of rigorous analog work.
Undress And Fly is not a conventional concert. It is a sonic experience on the edge — intense, committed, and deeply vulnerable.
Recorded on June 27 and 28, 2024, at Salinas Studio in Ibiza, the CD was released on May 22, 2026, by the Creative Sources Records label in Lisbon.
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Mucho antes de que tocar pianos preparados fuera algo habitual, hace décadas, Josep-Maria Balanyà empezó a utilizar estas técnicas y a grabar varios discos.
Sin embargo, desde hace un tiempo, Balanyà vuelve a ofrecer conciertos utilizando únicamente el piano de forma tradicional. Pero el resultado puede ser diferente al de un piano clásico, debido al uso del pedal sostenuto y otras técnicas. Ocasionalmente, el sonido puede ser acompañado de reverbs y delays.
Podría decirse que el sonido que Balanyà hace surgir del piano puro, en algunos momentos puede sonar electrónico para el oído, aunque utilice lo que diríamos baja tecnología.
La duración de UNDRESS AND FLY es de unos sesenta minutos, sin pausas entre los distintos movimientos. Esta continuidad permite una dramaturgia que une cada pieza o movimiento, dando como resultado una única obra.
El material musical que Balanyà utiliza se sumerge en elementos de la música contemporánea, del jazz, de la música libre, de la experimental y, fundamentalmente, de su experiencia creativa, viva y permanente.
Esta música es una interpretación abstracta de los sentimientos humanos durante su interminable historia de amor y odio. Escucharla puede hacerte sentir como si te acariciaran y te despellejaran vivo a la vez.
Composición e interpretación:
Josep-Maria Balanyà -
Molt abans que tocar pianos preparats fos una cosa habitual, fa dècades, Josep-Maria Balanyà va començar a utilitzar aquestes tècniques i a enregistrar diversos discos.
Tot i això, des de fa un temps, Balanyà torna a oferir concerts utilitzant únicament el piano de manera tradicional. El resultat, però, pot ser diferent del d'un piano clàssic, a causa de l'ús del pedal sostenuto i altres tècniques. Ocasionalment, el so pot ser acompanyat de reverbs i delays.
Es podria dir que el so que Balanyà fa sorgir del piano pur, en alguns moments pot sonar electrònic per a l’oïda, encara que utilitzi una tècnica de baixa tecnologia.
La durada d’ UNDRESS AND FLY és d’uns seixanta minuts, sense pauses entre els diferents moviments. Aquesta continuïtat permet una dramatúrgia que uneix cada peça o moviment, donant com a resultat una obra única.
El material musical que Balanyà utilitza es submergeix en elements de la música contemporània, del jazz, de la música lliure, de l'experimental i, fonamentalment, de la seva experiència creativa, viva i permanent.
Aquesta música és una interpretació abstracta dels sentiments humans durant la seva interminable història d'amor i odi. Escoltar-la pot fer-te sentir com si t'acaronessin i t'escorxessin viu alhora.
Composició i interpretació:
Josep-Maria Balanyà -
À l’écoute de Undress And Fly, on se sent à la fois caressé et écorché. Josep-Maria Balanyà crée un univers musical d’une intensité rare. Sa performance explore les émotions humaines mises en son : un dialogue sans fin entre amour et haine, tendresse et nudité.
L’œuvre, d’une durée de cinquante minutes, se déploie sans pause : chaque motif naît du précédent, créant une forme continue et dynamique qui dépasse les conventions. Les improvisations de Balanyà mêlent influences de la musique contemporaine et du jazz, où Reimann et Taylor croisent Stravinsky, Prokofiev ou même Bach, donnant naissance à un langage propre : brut et radical, mais aussi lyrique, ludique et d’une précision structurelle remarquable.
Depuis des années, Balanyà explore les sonorités du piano, notamment à travers des œuvres pour piano préparé, comme celles des albums Elements of Development ou Un peu à gauche SVP. Récemment, il a intensifié ses « concerts sur les touches » (JMB), utilisant la pédale sostenuto et des effets subtils de réverbération et de delay pour élargir le spectre timbrique de l’instrument. Certaines textures peuvent évoquer l’électronique, mais elles restent entièrement le fruit d’un travail analogique rigoureux.
Undress And Fly ne se présente pas comme un concert traditionnel. C’est une expérience sonore à la limite — intense, engagée, et profondément vulnérable.
Enregistré les 27 et 28 juin 2024 au Salinas Studio à Ibiza, le CD est sorti le 22 mai 2026 sur le label Creative Sources Records à Lisbonne.
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The career of the pianist Josep-Maria Balanyà, born in Barcelona on July 25, 1949, with more of 40 years of work on stage, 28 recorded albums and more than 150 works, has taken him from the classical music and jazz until his specialization in the field of improvisation, new contemporary music, experimental and performance. Internationally recognized, Balanyà is also composer, director of improvisational orchestras, sound artist, painter and photographer.
Balanyà has studied in Barcelona, in Switzerland (Swiss Jazz School and Hochschule für Musik und Theater from Bern) and Germany (Europäische Kunstakademie Trier). He has attended composition workshops, led by Helmut Lachenmann, Walter Zimmermann and Ivan Fedele, and at Borah Bergman's improvisation workshops in New York. He has carried out intense work in the search for sounds of nature in Mexico in collaboration with oceanographers and biologists, such as the mastozoologist Bernardo Villa.
Among his works you can find projects for piano, voice, electronics, video, percussion and butoh dance He has created sculptures and interactive sound installations. His works for piano reflect his interest in complementing the pure sound of the instrument with prepared piano parts.
He has developed his most imaginative actions on the border between music and the performance, such as a recital in complete darkness in the Sendesaal in Bremen or the concerts for the bells of Trier Cathedral (Germany).In his projects he has played with top musicians, such as Joachim Kühn, Claudio Pontiggia, Hans Koch, Franz Hautzinger, Carlos Zingaro, Michiel Borstlap, Walter Quintus, Ksenija Lukić, Das Neue Ensemble Hannover, Americo Rodrigues, Hannah Marshall, Ramón López, Paul Rogers, Mark Sanders, Hannah Ma (dance), Ana Maria Rodríguez and Mimi Barthélemy among others.
Balanyà has played at festivals and radio programs in many countries in Europe and America. He has received several scholarships in Germany (Worpswede and Eckernförde) and Switzerland (Fondazione Marguerite Arp, Locarno). He currently resides in Brussels and Barcelona.
