projects
Der Sonne entgegen
Music theatre for 14 voices, brass-ensemble end live electronics (rev. 2009)
Text by Steffi Hensel
Prize Fonds Experimentelles Musiktheater NRW 2006.
Prize “Music Theater Now” ITI Berlin 2008.
Supported by the Haupt Stadt Kultur Fonds Berlin for the 2010, Kunst Stifftung NRW,
Deutscher Musikrat, Initiative Neue Musik Berlin, Italienisches Kulturinstitut Berlin,
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
First performance new version: 21-3-2010, Maerzmusik, Berlin
Katia Guedes, Andrea Chudak, Ruth Rosenfeld, Estelle Lefort (Soprano)
Anna Charim, Regina Jakobi (Mezzosoprano)
Kyoung-Ran Won, Claudia von Hasselt (Contralto)
Volker Nietzke, Eloi Prat i Morgades, Florian Just (Tenor)
Andreas Fischer, Martin Gerke, Simon Robinson (Bass)
Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, Timo Kreuser (musical director)
Thomas Seelig (live electronic)
Lothar Baumgarte (setdesign/lights)
Svenja Gassen (costumes)
Elisabetta Benassi (video)
Barbara Gstaltmayr (producer)
Michael v. zur Mühlen (direction)
Publisher: Rai Trade
Duration: 1h30 ca
Der Sonne entgegen is a dramatic reflection for 14 solo vocal-performers, brass ensemble and live electronics. New and old frontiers of our hyper-communicative world are the main subjects, the point of departure of the project.
The dramaturgy follows the multiple transformations of the 14 performers in fragmented, associatively connected, and dramatic situations. They emerge as Europeans enjoying a seemingly wonderful holiday on an exotic island-bubble; as refugees facing an insurmountable barrier in a desert-like place; as stateless people or survivors living in the first world and finally as unheard intellectuals lost in complex discussions about loss of territory and migration. A figure-skating girl gliding through the polished space crossing frontiers, a choir of the dead standing on the border discussing the almighty power of time, an Iceberg speaking about his borderless Antarctic Land, are all out-group characters, external observers.
The cast performs as singers and actors. They appear as a percussion orchestra creating every sound with their voices, bodies, and simple props, using the stage as a gigantic drum. For long parts of the performance there is no external sound support, except the plain and sometimes fragile a cappella performance. The brass ensemble kicks in as a powerful, emotional storm, negative deus ex machina, affecting the performers, the music, the narration, and the audience as well.
“Der Sonne entgegen” has been realized thanks to the support of the Fonds Experimentelles Musiktheater NRW.
>> www.der-sonne-entgegen.org
