Commission to Zesses Seglias

Made possible by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Extended Voice Company (ExVoCo) of Stuttgart and CrossingLines of Barcelona commission a new work from composer Zesses Seglias titled Qu4d. The piece, featuring a vocal trio, clarinet, saxophone, trombone and percussion, is set to premiere at the Wiener Konzerthaus in spring 2025.

Qu4d is inspired by Samuel Beckett’s 1981 play Quad, in which four characters move in patterned, symmetrical paths on a square-shaped stage, carefully avoiding the centre. To capture this concept in his composition, Selgias translates Beckett’s choreography into time intervals of sound. Drawing on the influence of Anton Webern, Selgias will incorporate microstructures—short, self-contained structures that employ traditional symmetrical techniques such as canons. This mirrors Beckett’s theme of never reaching an arrival point or centre. The various sound microstructures, while symmetrical, will unfold at different speeds, creating a interplay of deconstructed events that exist in parallel or at varying tempos. Instrumentation will further enhance this sense of imperfect symmetry—three voices against four, three winds against four, seven performers against four.

While the characters in Quad remain silent, in line with Beckett’s goal of creating a “literature of the unword,” Selgias reintroduces the voice, blurring the lines between language and “pre-language.” In his composition, there is no strict distinction between speaking and singing, allowing communication to transcend the boundaries of language. The staging of Qu4d will also reflect the performance actions, further linking the movement and sound to the overall concept of the piece.

Further Information:
ensemble-exvoco.com

Dates

April 22, 2026
Berio Hall, Wiener Konzerthaus