AUKSO x Bastarda / The Sound of Hasidic Dynasties - NOSPR

Bastarda’s sound is like no other – the moment the first note rings out, you know who is playing. Their music comes from an unusual blend of instruments and an unceasing spirit of musical exploration. On their albums, the ensemble fuse elements of early and traditional music with contemporary improvisational techniques, creating a unique soundscape. Nizozot is a project devoted to the interpretation of works associated with three Hasidic dynasties: Modrzyc, Szapiro, and Koźnic. The musicians take as their starting point the nigunim of the 18th and 19th centuries – distinctive songs, often performed without words, whose name translates literally as ‘hummed melodies’.

The concept behind the project and its three-record album also relates to the meaning of the term nizozot, which denotes a divine act of creation that unfolds in three stages. First, sparks of love are placed inside a glass vessel. Then, the vessel breaks. Finally, the sparks scatter throughout the world. Following this theory, it is held that the sparks of holiness reside within every being and form its driving force. Can such philosophical premises be rendered in sound? Bastarda’s original compositions are designed so that each dynasty’s music mirrors these three stages in mood. The result is music of great emotional intensity and unpredictability, revealing the full spectrum of human experience. At the NOSPR, we shall discover what new emotions and soundscapes will emerge from the fusion of this distinctive trio’s music with the colouristic potential of a string orchestra.

[Julia Broniowska]