A somnolent couple in a huge hotel bedroom sing songs ranging from
Purcell to pop, in Christoph Marthaler's acclaimed reimagining of the
Liederabend (‘evening of song’).
A
couple are trying to sleep in an unfamiliar room, but they feel lost in
the huge bed. As their dreams take over they console themselves through
songs from Purcell to The Jackson 5 via Schumann and Michel Polnareff.
Swiss
director and composer Christoph Marthaler has long been at the
forefront of European theatre. In King Size, first performed in Basel in
2013, he presents a hugely original take on the Liederabend. In
Mathaler's hands this traditional 'evening of song' becomes a witty,
charming and profound meditation on love and the seduction of dreams.
At
the heart of Marthaler's vision is the musical phenomenon of
enharmonics – two notes that have different names but sound the same.
Mathaler uses this idea not only to unite songs from across lyrical
history but to explore self and other, dream and reality. Bendix
Dethleffsen creates the score.
Purcell to pop, in Christoph Marthaler's acclaimed reimagining of the
Liederabend (‘evening of song’).
A
couple are trying to sleep in an unfamiliar room, but they feel lost in
the huge bed. As their dreams take over they console themselves through
songs from Purcell to The Jackson 5 via Schumann and Michel Polnareff.
Swiss
director and composer Christoph Marthaler has long been at the
forefront of European theatre. In King Size, first performed in Basel in
2013, he presents a hugely original take on the Liederabend. In
Mathaler's hands this traditional 'evening of song' becomes a witty,
charming and profound meditation on love and the seduction of dreams.
At
the heart of Marthaler's vision is the musical phenomenon of
enharmonics – two notes that have different names but sound the same.
Mathaler uses this idea not only to unite songs from across lyrical
history but to explore self and other, dream and reality. Bendix
Dethleffsen creates the score.
