Tal marks the beginning of my fascination with the music of the French Impressionists. Inspired by their sensual yet precisely crafted soundscapes and ephemeral themes, I explored the paradoxical interaction of human kind with natures creation, developing an audiovisual concept about ideal and artificiality.
In close collaboration with set designer Bettina Katja Lange, a 3D stage object was designed resembling a piece of rock, a wave, or an oyster. With its fragmented, sculptural and shiny appearance, it serves as both a protective refuge and a physical obstacle for the dancers. Creature-like, they climb and glide over the object, seeking support and connection with each other while the scenes alternate between closeness and solitude.
The musical collage, interrupted by field recordings of airplane noise and tourist groups, developed a contrasting dramaturgy between symphonic poetry and the harsh sounds of everyday reality.
Tal playfully combines theory with performance and opened up new possibilities for abstract storytelling in my work.
Credits
Choreography, Costume Design, Concept: Louis Stiens
Set Design, Concept: Bettina Katja Lange
Music: Claude Debussy; Maurice Ravel
Additional Composition: Michael Utz
Light Design: Martin Gebhardt
Dramaturgy: Michael Küster
Photography: Gregory Batardon
Dancers (original cast): Emma Antrobus, Jessica Beardsell, Luca D’Amato, Jesse Fraser, Mark Geilings, Matthew Knight, Meiri Maeda, Leroy Mokgatle, Katja Wünsche
Premiere: January 14, 2023, Zurich Opera House
Philharmonia Zurich (conductor: Alevtina Ioffe)
Duration: 25’
