Tomas Tranströmer's poems form the foundation of "för levande och döda" —a devised music-theater work commissioned by Companion Star and Foundry Arts. Ellen Lindquist composed the work using a collaborative, improvisation-based process to develop material with a dedicated international ensemble of musicians and artists. All development work centered around Tranströmer's work, in a series of development workshops in New York and Västerås/Ängsö, Sweden.
"för levande och döda" is an evening-length piece which moves fluidly through nine of Tranströmer's remarkable poems, varying from intimate solo and small ensemble moments to full ensemble work.
On Saturday 31 August, in Olavshallen's Lillesalen, SiTron will present a concert performance of "för levande och döda", with singers Kathleen Flynn (Canada) and Karl Peter Eriksson (Sweden). Marte Huke will open the evening by introducing us to Tomas Tranströmer's poetry.
SiTron performers: Flute/Alto flute: Trine Knutsen Oboe/English horn: Arnulf Johansen Clarinet: Lise Aandal-Herseth Bass clarinet: Stig Førde Aarskog Trombone: Kirsten Leidland Harp: Ruth Potter Piano: Else Bø Percussion: Espen Aalberg Violin: Elga Akhaladze Cello: Marianne Baudouin Lie Contrabass: Róbert Gyurján
Soloists: Kathleen Flynn (CA) Karl Peter Eriksson (SE)
Musical leader: Stig Førde Aarskog (Clarinet/Bass Clarinet)
"för levande och döda" is an evening-length piece which moves fluidly through nine of Tranströmer's remarkable poems, varying from intimate solo and small ensemble moments to full ensemble work. These nine poems which were chosen to form the musical and dramatic structure for "för levande och döda" are:
Minnena ser mig Eldklotter Lamento Längre in Preludes (II) Flygblad Romanska bågar Madrigal Näktergalen i Badelunda
Tomas Tranströmer (1931-2015) was one of the world’s great environmental poets. Tranströmer balances the human-made world with the natural world, often transforming concrete objects into sprouting, living things. His poetry is fluid and non-linear, with vivid images that morph, collapse, expand playfully as a result of the often-changing perspective of the speaker. Tranströmer creates an environment in which the spaces between conscious and subconscious elements of life are bridged—there is a hovering between worlds at play, inviting us to use our imagination as a tool for understanding and empathy. Tomas Tranströmer followed the early development of "för levande och döda" in Sweden, and enthusiastically referred to "för levande och döda" as "a new translation" of his work.
Funding from: Sparebankstiftelsen SMN Trondheim Symfoniorkester & Opera Kulturrådet Trondheim kommune