Organization

Stage director

William Kentridge

Set designer

Sabine Theunissen

Singer

Artist / Performer

Soprano

Ariadne Greif

Dancer

Peter Kuit

Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg

Ursonate

Luxembourg

Germany

Ursonate: Concert Various

Public

Concert

Approved

Accordionist

Instrumentalist

Archlutenist

Baroque Flutist

Baroque Oboist

Baroque Trumpetist

Bassist

Bassoonist

Cellist

Clarinetist

Contrabassist

Cornettist

Flutist

Guitarist

Harper

Harpsichordist

Hornist

Lutenist

Mandoline Player

Musette de cour Player

Oboist

Organist

Percussionist

Pianist

Recorder Player

Saxophonist

Tenor Violinist

Timpani

Trombonist

Trumpeter

Tuba Player

Vibraphonist

Viola Pomposa Player

Viola da gamba

Viola d’amore Player

Violinist

Violino Piccolo Player

Violist

Actor

Broadcasting

Chefdirigent Musiktheater

Choir

Choreographer

Chorus Director

Chorus master

Composer

Conductor

Costume designer

Dramaturge

Executive producer

Extra

Hairstylist

Illustrator

Librettist

Lighting designer

Makeup artist

Off-Stage Artist

On-Stage Artist

Orchestra

Orchestra Operations

Other

Photographer

Poet

Repetiteur

Sound designer

Stage Manager

Teacher

Translator

Video designer

Vocal coach

Wig & Makeup Designer

Writer

Writing and performance

Contralto

Tenor

Bass

Countertenor

Bass-baritone

Baritone

Mezzo-soprano

Alto

Child vocalist

Continuo

Silent

Spoken

Using Schwitters' Ursonate , Kentridge's piece is part performance, part lecture and part symphony. Looking at her, however, one gets the impression that she is none of that.

In front of a projection, Kentridge stands on a podium. He opens a book and behind him another book also opens. This is the last time the performance takes the form of a conventional lecture. From the first line: “Fumms bö wö tää zää Uu, pögiff, kwii Ee”, he launches into a symphony of audiovisual performances. Kentridge is accompanied by stop-motion visuals of his own creation, some echoing the words and phrases he speaks, others filling in gaps in our understanding. The gibberish turns into debate, while body language – the slight movement of a finger or the extension of the palms outwards – helps form the argument. Everything intensifies, becomes a frenzy, before reaching the cadence – a magnificent collapse of rhyme and reason – orchestrated by New York soprano Ariadne Greif and dancer Peter Kuit. Amid the noise, chaos and explosions, conclusions are drawn, or dropped, before being re-started again.

More careful than the Dada performances of yesteryear, Ursonate nevertheless pays homage to them by demonstrating how the language of the absurd can still be useful in approaching a world that has no meaning. This event, which is an extension of the red bridge project 20-21, of which William Kentridge was the guest artist, is part of the rainy days contemporary music festival directed by the Philharmonie.

English

Utilisant l'Ursonate originale de Schwitters, la pièce de Kentridge est à la fois une performance, une conférence et une symphonie. En la regardant, cependant, on a l'impression qu'elle n'est rien de tout cela.

Devant une projection, Kentridge se tient sur un podium. Il ouvre un livre et derrière lui, un autre livre s'ouvre également. C'est la dernière fois que la performance prend la forme d'une conférence conventionnelle. Dès la première ligne: «Fumms bö wö tää zää Uu, pögiff, kwii Ee», il se lance dans une symphonie de performances audiovisuelles. Kentridge est accompagné par des visuels en stop-motion de sa propre création, certains faisant écho aux mots et aux phrases qu'il prononce, d'autres comblant les lacunes de notre compréhension. Le charabia se transforme en débat, tandis que le langage corporel – le léger mouvement d'un doigt ou l'extension des paumes vers l'extérieur – contribue à former l'argument. Le tout s'intensifie, devient frénésie, avant d'atteindre la cadence – un magnifique effondrement de la rime et de la raison – orchestrée par la soprano new-yorkaise Ariadne Greif et le danseur Peter Kuit. Au milieu du bruit, du chaos et des explosions, des conclusions sont tirées, ou abandonnées, avant d'être relancées à nouveau.

Plus soigné que les performances Dada d'antan, l'Ursonate de Kentridge leur rend néanmoins hommage en démontrant combien le langage de l'absurde peut encore être utile pour aborder un monde qui n'a pas de sens. Cet événement, qui s'inscrit dans le prolongement du red bridge project 20-21, dont William Kentridge était l'artiste invité, fait partie du festival de musique contemporaine rainy days dirigé par la Philharmonie.

Deutsch

Ursonate by Various, Fri 12 Nov 2021, From (2021/2021), Directed by William Kentridge,

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues