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| Home > Performances: For the Living and the Dead | ||||||
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Personnel Flute: Malin Trast (Sweden)Oboe: Laura Karney (USA) Clarinet: Robert Ek (Sweden), Christa VanAlstine (Canada) Horn: Angela Wilmot (USA) Trombone: Benjamin Lanz (USA) Harp: Nicolas Tulliez (France) Piano: Laura Barger (USA), Staffan Sandström (Sweden) Percussion: Michael McCurdy (USA) Violins: Aaron Packard (USA) Cello: Will Martina (Australia), Christian Sahlin (Sweden) Bass: Felix Pastor (Spain) Soprano Vocalist: Kathleen Flynn (Canada) Bass Vocalist: Michael Douglas Jones (USA) Composer: Ellen Lindquist (USA) Business Development: Elizabeth Hulings (USA) Performer Resources Romanska Bågar |
For the Living and the Dead For the Living and the Dead is a new music-theater piece based on the texts of contemporary Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer, produced by Companion Star, and developed collaboratively by an international company of musicians and artists. For the Living and the Dead is a bilingual work in English and Swedish that creates an environment in which the spaces between the real and unreal elements of life are bridged, an important theme that appears throughout Tranströmer's work. The cast of For the Living and the Dead includes two singer/actors and a chamber orchestra of eleven instrumentalist/actors, including members of the highly acclaimed chamber Swedish music ensemble, Musica Mobile. For the Living and the Dead is a large-scale work, roughly 75 minutes in length, to be premiered in June of 2010, and performed in the United States, Sweden, and Canada. Project Timeline • January 10-11 2006: First development workshop, at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, with five members of the ensemble. In this first improvisational workshop, members explored the themes and texts of Tranströmer's poems, worked toward creating a physical and musical language for their expression, and recorded that process on videotape for later reference. Sponsored by Stony Brook University and private donors. • April 16, 2006: Tomas and Monica Tranströmer receive New York University's prestigious Creative Writing Award. Members of Companion Star attend the ceremony and meet with the Tranströmers to discuss the project. Henny Linn Kjellberg, set/costume designer from Sweden, was also present. • May 12, 2006: Premiere of Romanska Bågar, the first composition resulting from the initial development workshop, at the Tenri Cultural Institute, New York City. Sponsored by the Stony Brook Alumni Association. • December, 2006: Romanska Bågar performed at Stony Brook University. • January 15-21, 2007: Second developmental workshop, held at the Gateway Theater in Bellport, New York, with 17 members of the ensemble in attendance, including members from Sweden, Canada, Spain, France, and the USA. Expanding on material from the first workshop and introducing new material, this workshop incorporates input from new musicians as well as the choreographer. All workshops are open to the public and initial footage is taken for the documentary film, including interviews. The workshop results in two work-in-progress performances and is made possible by major sponsorship from The Gateway Theatre, private donors, and Stony Brook University. • March-June 2007: Composer Ellen Lindquist travels to Sweden, where she composes music in preparation for the third developmental workshop and performance. Ellen is a fellow with the American-Scandinavian Foundation during the three months leading up to the workshop, and has additional support from Mälardalens University in Västerås in the form of living accommodations and workspace. • June 8-16, 2007: Third development workshop, held at Engsö Castle in Västmanland, Sweden, with 18 members of the ensemble in attendance. A substantial amount of newly-composed music is introduced, and the improvisational work is enhanced with poetry. More footage and additional interviews are shot for the documentary. All workshop sessions are open to the public. The workshop results in one work-in-progress performance. Reviews of the performance at Engsö Castle are excellent, and the work is presented on both Swedish radio (national broadcast) and SV-TV (channel 4). • June 10, 2007: Companion Star performs a program of chamber music at the Wik Castle in Wik, Uppland, presented by Kultur i Lanet. • June 11, 2007: Companion Star opens the Engsö Cultural Week with a concert of American Poetry and Music. Co-produced by Companion Star and Mälardalens University, at Engsö Castle. • July 10-August 5, 2007: Set designer Henny Linn Kjellberg and composer Ellen Lindquist are invited to the International Ceramics Research Center in Denmark to develop porcelain percussion instruments to use in the show. They present their work during the Centre's 10th-anniversary symposium, where percussionist Birgit Løkke performs on the new instruments. • January 10-14, 2008: Fourth development workshop, held in Bellport, New York, with 10 members of the ensemble. This workshop focuses on the incorporation of a style of movement into the final work, introduces a new choreographer, and results in a long-term plan for the completion of the piece in two years time. • June 2-14, 2008: Fifth development workshop, held at the Västerås Konserthus in Västerås, Sweden, with the full ensemble in residence (24 people including support staff). The focus of this workshop is on structuring the piece, adding more composed material and integrating movement with music. A work-in-progress performance will take place June 14 in the Lilla Salen of the Västerås Konserthus. All workshop sessions will be open to the public. • June 2010: For the Living and the Dead will be premiered in Sweden and New York. |
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