420PEOPLE with BERG Orchestra

In December last year the company 420PEOPLE unveiled the output of their collaboration with the progressive musical ensemble Berg Orchestra. 420PEOPLE are permanent residents at the New Stage of the National Theatre, the Berg Orchestra have taken part in the project timINg that was performed at this venue. Therefore it was only a matter of time when the cooperation between these two ensembles would come into being. It should be also noted that Berg Orchestra are closely related to dance art as they regularly perform with the National Theatre Ballet.

The evenings of the 11th and 12th December were devoted to music and contemporary dance, looking for ways of further collaboration between the genres and exploring the boundaries yet to be crossed. The first part of the programme, however, focused on a rather special connection between two genres, namely, live music and film. Thus, two worlds distant in time and space appeared next to each other: contemporary composition M Is for Man, Music, Mozart by Louis Andriessen, created as a tribute to W. A. Mozart, accompanied by a screening, created by Peter Greenaway (premiered in 1991). The film and its connection with music drew the spectators and listeners alike to a peculiarly surreal world. Andriessen’s vocal-instrumental composition started with a play on letters of the alphabet in a truly dance film (nude female dancers foreshadowed the further development of the "story"), pictures of motion were followed by images, drawings, calligraphy, all of this commanded by a character of a female singer, whose voice on the stage was created by Markéta Cukrová. From the letter M a sheer surreal orgy started in a wondrous alchemistic workshop representing contemporary theatre, in which audiences witnessed to the sounds of the demanding composition the creation of man, portrayed by a male dancer. The final act of creation was preceded by grotesque experiments. And when the man was finally here, it was necessary to teach him how to move (movement), including dance, and along with that how to enjoy music (another M - music). The whole composition, inextricably linked with the film screenings, was created as a tribute to W. A. Mozart. His name could be found in one of the meanings of the letter M, he was present in the costumes and props of his era, in the playfulness of the whole piece. Apart from that, the production brought up many other associations, a bald protagonist might have been a reference to Harald Kreutzberg, the alphabet suggests to Czech audiences a special connection with the literary surrealism, many images seemed as if they had been taken from a contemporary fantasy novel, rudolphian alchemist's laboratory was the scene of miracles. The red colour of blood spread through the whole piece, blood is life, movement, blood runs through the veins of a dancer and musician alike. The production M Is for Man, Music, Mozart was difficult to listen to, but Berg Orchestra performed in a perfect harmony and there is no doubt they are familiar with contemporary music.

After an intermission a time for contemporary dance enthusiasts came. The Berg Orchestra remained under the baton of their conductor Peter Vrábel, but performed a composition by one of their members Jan Trojan, which was created along with the choreography Resonances in walking distance. In this piece choreographed by Nataša Novotná musicians and dancers alike perform on the stage. Rather than focusing on choreographic inventiveness in terms of new figures, more emphasis was put on making the non-dancing performers an equal part of the whole composition and due to the fact that the musicians still had to play their instruments, their movement repertoire was naturally limited. Indeed, music is a fundamental part of the production, an amplified metal plate hanging above the stage worked as an independent musical „instrument“ (actually, resonating metal is in the very name of this piece). Choreography was based both on solo parts performed by the dancers of 420PEOPLE company (they performed in a rather modest number: Václav Kuneš, Nataša Novotná, Zuzana Herényiová, Milan Odstrčil) and on the interaction with musicians. Although thoroughly rehearsed, it almost seemed impromptu. Choreographies by 420PEOPLE are quite recognizable, they possess a distinctive choreographic language, a characteristic way of creating duets, gestures, working with energy. The magic of this performance stemmed from communication, from making the musicians move, there was also an allusion to the principles of Laterna Magica (the conductor left his place and conducted the orchestra from the screen). Ping-pong balls were used rather as a fanciful prop than an element significant in any way. Joint work of dancers and musicians somewhat lightened the whole evening, which began in a rather demanding way, so in the end the whole piece was dramaturgically balanced, imbued by its multi-genre character. It was definitely a successfully combined programme that is worth seeing.

 
M Is for Man, Music, Mozart
Music: Louis Andriessen
Director: Peter Greenaway
Light design: Pavla Beranová
Performers: Berg Orchestra
Vocals: Markéta Cukrová
Conductor: Peter Vrábel
Czech Premiere: December 11th, 2012

Resonances in Walking Distance
Choreography: Nataša Novotná
Music: Jan Trojan
Conductor: Peter Vrábel
Light design: Pavla Beranová
Video: Zuzana Houfková
Premiere: December 11th, 2012
Translation by: Tomáš Valníček