This orchestra comes with its own choreographer
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In a ground-breaking new take on the classical concert, Impulse: Music in Motion presents Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony in a unique, personal, and deeply human performance.
Playing the entire programme from memory, the 21 string musicians are unleashed through choreographed movement, devised in collaboration with choreographer Örjan Andersson. The emotional tapestry of the music intertwines with the expressive physicality of the musicians to create an exhilarating encounter that will redefine audiences’ perception of these two iconic works.
Örjan Andersson is one of Sweden’s most successful choreographers and a regular collaborator with Scottish Ensemble, including the flagship production Goldberg Variations – ternary patterns for insomnia, which saw its 50th performance in 2023.
Through Goldberg Variations and other productions, including in Sync, Scottish Ensembles musicians have developed the skills and confidence to play from memory and use movement in their performances which will be further built upon in this brand-new project. For Impulse: Music in Motion Andersson’s creativity unfolds in distinct ways for each piece. Shostakovich’s haunting Chamber Symphony propels viewers into a dynamic tableau, where musicians traverse the stage with captivating intensity, while Tchaikovsky’s joyful Serenade sees graceful sweeps and fluid movements, igniting a sensory feast for the eyes and ears alike.
Impulse: Music in Motion tours to Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness and Perth from 8-13th March
Interesting attempt of combining two very different art forms.
Also interesting that the effect on audiences has already been settled. No need for music/dance critics.
Music has indeed all the features of movement in it…. so to try-out its imaginary movements for real, is truly courageous, it must be very difficult for the players.
On the other hand, what I find a bit worrying is that behind the idea lies, apparently, the assumption that classical music needs visuals to become more comprehensible or more attractive or more engaging. When we go to a ballet, the two parts of the whole: movement and music, are conveniently split, so that every part can concentrate on its own difficulties. It is also an attempt at unity but more ‘in the imagination’ and in the experience, so to speak. To put them together in a literal sense may, paradoxically, create limitations rather than an extension of expression.
But good luck to them, it may be a relevation.
This is an ‘interesting’ concept. I wonder if they’ll try this with ‘The Rite of Spring’? Could be epic…
There is an action performance of the Filarmónica Joven de Colombia with Andres Orozco-Estrada. Weird, but watchable, and well played. https://youtu.be/joer2oBpsjs
Somewhere about 1970 or slightly earlier our music teacher announced that the lesson was to be a film, ooooh, good. However it was a film of Rite of Spring. I was shocked, didn’t dare tell my parents that the dancers performed a “pornography’s dance” and our respected music teacher had shown it to a group of young teenagers. Never did tell them but always laughed when Dad played his vinyl and later CDs of this piece. Now as a long in the tooth adult wonder at my naivety but a group of 21 string musicians performing what I saw back then…….!!
Oh, joy.
Funny they think they’re doing something new and exciting here. This is the direction marching band & drum corps (in the US) has been headed over the past two decades or so. Music isn’t enough anymore. Everyone has to dance and wear silly costumes, and we need tons of props and special effects.
Maybe this will take off and orchestras will have to dig through the closets of high school band rooms to find the marching timpani and glockenspiels and xylophones that went out of style in the early 80s.
As a former DCI fan, I appreciate the difficulty of the corps shows.
I just don’t enjoy it.
They’ll be coming to Birmingham soon, no doubt, to enhance CBSO concerts and encourage new audiences to replace the current one, seen by orchestral managers as past its ‘sell by’ date.