DeutschIncense of Music 74
soft landing option
A multisensory concert – Friday, 12. June 2026, 8 pm
Chris Dahlgren: Viola da gamba
Jim Hart: Vibraphone & Marimba
Claudio Puntin: Contralto-Clarinet, Bassclarinet, Clarinet
Incense: White sage, Aralia racemosa
PANDA Platforma in der Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin
An evening where the ancient and the avant-garde converge. Chris Dahlgren on viola da gamba, Jim Hart on vibraphone & marimba, and Claudio Puntin on clarinets weave a tapestry of sound. The air carries the cleansing scent of White Sage and the woodland aroma of Aralia racemosa. This event is not recommended to people sensitive to smoke.
A soft landing in the infinity of possibilities. Behind this lies the idea that tradition means not the preservation but the development of things, so that it can transform its merits into services. The sound fusion of this carefully selected combination of instruments—viola da gamba, clarinets, and vibraphone—captures several centuries of European music-making and instrumental art in an audible and tangible way. Origin and present come alive in the hands of this composers’ band. The three musicians are united by a polystylistic understanding of music and lifelong improvisational and compositional experience in dealing with musical forms of expression and organization. In this way, they have created and continue to create an ever-growing and changing collection of works. Together, they create far more than the sum of three artistic individuals. These time-dissolving forms of planning generate a reality that will have a lasting impact on the future.
Claudio Puntin (*13.10.1965) Improvisor, Clarinetist, Composer, Goldsmith, Painter, Performer. The sensuality and soulfulness of improvising people have inspired Claudio Puntin since his first musical steps. He has retained his playful instinct, turning his clarinet into his keyboard, his drums, and his sound processor, and creating works for orchestras, choirs, ensembles, and electronics. Together with improvisers from all continents, he creates music and art that allows us to participate in the eternal artistic present through images and sound. Through his playing, he reminds us that we are all sensual and social beings who enjoy creativity in order to be together in health, peace and soulfulness.
R. Chris Dahlgren (*13.11.1961) Multi-Instrumentalist, Composer, Singer, Performer. „If I would attempt to state a credo for my path as a musician, an artist and a person it would go something like this: I’d try to emphasize, along with following one’s own instinct and bliss, keeping a beginner’s mind, a step-by-step mind, a here and now mind and an openness to life’s inevitable changes. I was improvising before I knew what improvising meant- freedom and form are yin and yang and intertwining eternally, so don’t emphasize one over the other. I don’t want to fit into anybody’s shoebox and least of all into a shoebox of my own making.“ Chris Dahlgren
Jim Hart (*1.6.1978) Vibraphone, Marimba, Drums, Percussion. Jim Hart is a British vibraphonist and drummer whose music thrives on curiosity, openness and creative range. After nearly 20 years in London he relocated to Alsace, France in 2014. He has released ten albums as a leader and moves fluidly between projects that stretch from intimate duos to adventurous cross-border collaborations and large ensembles. His versatility has brought him to the stage with artists at the highest level from around the world. Hart also shares his craft as a teacher at several conservatoires across Europe as well as running a choir in his local community.
White sage is an evergreen perennial shrub native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, specifically the coastal sage scrub habitats of Southern California and Baja California. It typically grows 1.3 to 1.5 meters tall and wide, with whitish evergreen leaves that are densely covered in hairs containing aromatic oils. When rubbed, the leaves release a strong, distinctive fragrance. The plant produces tall flower stalks with white to pale lavender flowers that are highly attractive to bees, hence the species name apiana. White sage requires well-drained dry soil, full sun, and minimal water, naturally occurring on dry slopes in coastal sage scrub and chaparral ecosystems. Due to increasing commercial demand, wild populations face conservation concerns from overharvesting, leading many Native American groups and conservationists to recommend using cultivated sources rather than wild-harvested plants. As incense, white sage is traditionally used by Indigenous peoples of North America for purification ceremonies and spiritual practices. The dried leaves are typically bundled into smudge sticks and burned, producing a highly aromatic, resinous, and penetrating spicy scent. The smoke is believed to have cleansing properties, clearing negative energy from spaces and promoting mental clarity and relaxation. Scientific research has shown that burning white sage can break down up to 94 percent of bacteria in a room. Beyond spiritual use, Native American communities have traditionally employed white sage for medicinal purposes, including treating coughs and colds, and as an eye cleanser using the seeds. The herbaceous, woody, and slightly sweet fragrance makes it popular for meditation, yoga, and creating sacred spaces. Due to its sacred status and conservation concerns, many Native Americans request that non-Natives use white sage respectfully and choose cultivated sources.
Aralia racemosa, commonly known as American spikenard, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ginseng family native to eastern North America. It typically grows 1 to 1.5 meters tall, sometimes reaching up to 3 meters, with erect, branched stems that are dark maroon to almost black in color. The plant produces very large, two to three times compound leaves that can reach up to 75 centimeters in length, divided into 9 to 21 ovate leaflets with toothed margins and pointed tips. The small white to greenish-white flowers are arranged in numerous umbels that form large, upright panicles up to 30 to 46 centimeters long, blooming from June to August. The flowers are followed by hanging clusters of dark purple berries about 6 millimeters in diameter that attract birds. The plant has large, aromatic roots that spread via rhizomes and prefers moist, rich woodland habitats from Quebec to Georgia and west to Kansas and Minnesota. As incense, Aralia racemosa is valued for the aromatic properties of its root, which has a complex, spicy, and earthy fragrance with notes reminiscent of licorice or sarsaparilla. The root contains essential oils that release a pleasant balsamic scent when burned or gently heated. Traditionally, the dried root has been used in herbal medicine and incense practices by Native American tribes and in European herbal traditions. When used as incense, the aroma is described as warm, mildly sweet, and slightly pungent, creating a calming and grounding atmosphere. The smoke or vapor from the heated root was historically used to fill rooms with a mild, soothing fragrance, particularly valued for respiratory comfort. In some traditions, it was used for purification and to promote a meditative state. The root can be burned on charcoal as a loose incense or gently heated on a warmer to release its aromatic compounds. Due to its historical significance and pleasant scent, it remains valued in natural perfumery and herbal incense blends. The plant should not be used during pregnancy.