UTOPIA::47 - a very last Passion
Utopia::47 is a musical Passion in two parts. The point of departure of the first part is the sacred music composed by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) during the Thirty Years War. The beauty and sophistication of his music expresses the longing for another and better world.
The second part leads us to 2047, the final year of a future Thirty Year global conflict, which brings human civilisation to the edge of the abyss. What is the point of music the day after? What remains of musical tradition? Do we continue to believe in beauty and utopia? Or does a new ‘homo ludens’ go for diversion, for endless editing, the joy of combining high and low, popular and elitist, spiritual and worldly? Not a concert anymore, but a game, a party! The Day After Party!
Utopia::47 is a poignant visual and musical Passion that moves between melancholy and utopia, between a longing for beauty and sense of horror, between pure aesthetic pleasure and compelling political questions.
We are presenting Utopia::47 together with the KlaraFestival. The festival motto this year is Imagine Paradise. The theme of Utopia is the thread running through many of the concerts.
direction, music, scenography Eric Sleichim | video Kurt D'haeseleer | electronics Max Bruckert (Grame/Lyon) | dramaturgy Erwin Jans, Jan Vandenhouwe (Concertgebouw Brugge) | costumes Isabelle Lhoas | repetitor Marnix De Cat | lighting design Luc Schaltin (Kaaitheater) | set realisation Brecht Beuselinck | mezzo-soprano Cristina Zavalloni | BL!NDMAN [vox]:
Griet De Geyter, soprano, turntables, Gunther Vandeven, countertenor,
turntables, Kevin Skelton, tenor, turntables, Tiemo Wang, bas-bariton,
turntables | BL!NDMAN [sax]: Koen Maas, soprano sax, e-guitars,
Roeland Vanhoorne, alto sax, e-guitars Piet Rebel, tenor sax, e-guitars,
Raf Minten, bariton sax, e-guitars | producers Veerle Francke (Muziektheater Transparant) & Jonas De Roover (BL!NDMAN) | technique Brecht Beuselinck & Roel Das (icw Studio Champ d'action) & Peter Quasters (video) | production Muziektheater Transparant (Antwerp) & BL!NDMAN (Brussels) | commissioned by MAfestival (Bruges) & Klarafestival (Brussels)| co-production MAfestival, KlaraFestival, deSingel (Antwerp) | in association with Concertgebouw Brugge, Kaaitheater (Brussels), Grame (Lyon) | thanks to Ballets C de la B (Ghent)
