So the OAE has asked choreographer Henri Oguike and his dance company to provide an interpretation for the said Vivaldi - and the players are involved. Perhaps this is how to be historical and cutting-edge contemporary at the same time. All will be revealed at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the OAE's Night Shift series on 7 February and "normal" concert on 8 February. I asked Henri Oguike and the OAE's lead violinist, Kati Debretzeni, how it's going so far...
JD: First, Henri Oguike, what is it like to make an orchestra part of your choreography? What are the special challenges it presents?
HO: I have always tried to have musicians share the performance space, when funds allow, as this adds an additional texture to the whole theatre experience. Musicians and dancers produce sound and both move, so I believe a more nuanced dialogue exists when all are present to be seen and heard.
Some
challenges include staging; not all musicians are happy to be arranged in
unconventional ways relative to their fellow players. I completely understand
this. But opportunities can be missed in terms of alternative aesthetic
not to mention the fact that some musicians can suddenly look and behave
differently in these conditions - others even move with the dancers!
Working
with OAE, lead by Kati Debretzeni, has thus far been a breath of fresh air.
Kati invited me to take journey through the Four Seasons with her in early 2012
and told me stories, played whilst simultaneously explaining structure... it
was fascinating to watch her physically express her intentions and this planted
some very charged images at the back of my mind, which was a great starting point.
Most
recently, musicians and dancers have shared in the creative process (in the
studio), and I can't say enough about how amazing that was to observe.
JD: How
are you interpreting the Vivaldi, which is such a familiar piece? Do you think you can make us hear it afresh?
HO: I have
aimed for a fresh modern emphasis in this interpretation which also includes
references to baroque-like postures, poses and decorative details.
As the
music is so well known and loved, I hope to enable people to access the music by
using the dance as a visualizer for the mode/moods that reside within the
architecture of the music - see the music; hear the dance ;-)
JD: Do you think this is a one-off project or might it inspire a new wave of performances along similar lines?
HO: I would
love to believe that this opportunity (personally) is a next step towards going
deeper and discovering where else the partnership/relationship between music
and dance can go.
There is
so much more emotionally and intellectually to unravel, but the challenges lie
in how to prepare and embroider qualities we all crave subconsciously - don't
we?
I pray
this is not a one-off, but can't really guess what may follow.
JD: Kati Debretzeni, it's
normally difficult enough to play the violin without having to be part of a
choreography! How does it feel?
KD: It feels
brilliant - playing the instrument is not an end in itself. How liberating! It
does require a different type of concentration, whilst there is the little
detail of getting the notes right and trying not to loose contact between
string and bow when walking/striding/running around - but multitasking is what
women are supposed to be good at (famous last words...).
JD: What do
you feel the dance project adds to our enjoyment of the Vivaldi? Does it change
the way you yourself see the music?
KD: My
initial idea was to see another dimension, that of movement, added to a programmatic
piece I know so well. I was very surprised by how much difference seeing the
dancers makes to how I feel about it. Their movements respond very immediately
to the sheer emotional ebb and flow of the music, and I did adjust the way I've
always played it. Seeing the second movement of 'Spring' not as a shepherd asleep
with his faithful dog by his side (as in Vivaldi's own stage directions that
are printed in the music) but as an unrequited love-duet between two dancers
makes quite a change.
JD: Do you
think there should be more of this kind of thing? Er, next stop, Swan Lake, perhaps?
KD: Some
pieces, not all, invite or rather tolerate innovation by being part of a widely
known canon of our cultural heritage. I hope the layers of the public's
previous experiences with them benefit from a completely different aspect - in
this case, movement added to sound. Should Vasko Vasilev be on stage with
dancers around him while playing the big Swan Lake solo? Hopefully the next choreographer
who thinks he should will not get acid thrown into his face...
