Young twins, Max and Gabriel, climb a mountain to reach a glacier. Although they resemble each other, they are fundamentally different in their characters. For the humanist Gabriel, this is the first hike and he is deeply impressed by the surrounding nature; the size and beauty of the mountains leave a permanent imprint on his soul. In contrast, his brother Max observes the landscape through the eyes of a scientist. When things come to an end, tragedy will have struck as they reach the glacier.
Why Opera 2.0? New territory is tantalizingly available in practically all facets of this production. First, the musicians will have abandoned sheet music in favor of a graphic video score that permits a much more intuitive style of playing, with fluent combinations of music styles, including avant-garde, music, jazz and rock. Second, the leading role is a "virtual" singer on a video screen. Third, musicians perform on specially constructed musical instruments, designed to play in rare tuning systems. The results are unique melodies and newly imagined harmonies. "Cross of the Enganged", following his "The Glacier - Opera 2.0“ is Klinkenberg’s second opera.
The orchestra is comprised of musicians from Germany, USA, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Slovenia, France, and Belgium. They are brought together specifically because of their viruosic expertise in performing microtonal music.
credits
from NEW REALMS - Christian Klinkenberg GLACIER 2.0, John Eaton MASS II & VESPERS (Premiere), John Zorn RUGBY, Svjetlana Bukvich SABIH'S DREAM, Luc Marcel MODELE 312: AMERICAN FESTIVAL OF MICROTONAL MUSIC,
released August 16, 2020
Composer: Christian Klinkenberg
Director and libretto: Nicole Erbe
Conductor: Bart Bouckaert
Video: Ludwig Kuckartz
Graphic score: Marc Kirschvink
Set designer: Jens Schumacher
Software designer: Lothar Felten
Light: Jonas Rüter
Translation: Christian Klinkenberg, Hugh Featherstone and Vedran Mutić
Radio voice: Julia Hansen (English), Juliane Pempelfort (German)
Actor: Ilan Daneels
Singer: Jean Bermes
Flute: Anne Davids
Clarinet: Nora-Louise Müller
Alto saxophone: Philipp Gerschlauer
Baritone saxophone: Luc Marly
Bassoon, recorder: Johnny Reinhard
Violin: Dan Auerbach
Violin, viola: Paul Pankert
Electric guitar: Melle Weijters
Double Bass: Vedran Mutić
Percussion, Drumset: Stephan Klinkenberg
Synthesizer: Christian Klinkenberg
Minimal and emotionally evocative compositions for solo piano in the Ryuichi Sakamoto vein from Cincinnati's Tristan Eckerson. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 18, 2020
