A History of Editing: Editing History - on the soundtrack in 'Built to Last'

A vertical meta-composition

For her first creation using classical music, Built to Last (2012), choreographer Meg Stuart invited music dramaturge Alain Franco to collaborate with her. In his talk, A History of Editing: Editing History - on the soundtrack in 'Built to Last', Franco gives his personal view of monumentality and stability in society and in music. Our culture is very attached to constancy and depends on continuity across generations. Franco critically examines the cultural function of music and classicism and explains his non-chronological selection and juxtaposition of music in Built to Last. Built to Last is a time machine and includes music by Stockhausen, Rachmaninov, Xenakis, Schönberg and Beethoven’s third symphony as an axis for the performance. Franco’s vertical meta-composition sees history not just as a chain of events but also as a network that extends over the whole body.