The kaleidoscopic Laborintus II (1965) by Luciano Berio and the hard-hitting The Staat (1972-76) by Louis Andriessen were proposed by me as a staged double bill at the DR Concerthall, Cph. Two exceptional compositions that each in their own peculiar way break down the barriers between classical concert, opera and theatre.
“…we shall perhaps one day be able to realise a ‘total’ performance in which all the components (not only the strictly musical effects) can develop towards a complete and perfect integration, so that it will be possible to achieve a new kind of relationship between word and sound, poetry and music.”
(Berio, 1959 - Poesia e musica, un’esperienza)
Both works have a certain theatricality in common, which is neither driven by a dramatic narrative nor individual star performances, but instead propelled forward by the collective dynamics between all musicians and singers.
all slides are screenshots from the webcast of the live performance of Laborintus II
DANTE & PLATO
two cult classics in
one staged concert
Laborintus II by Luciano Berio, text by Edoardo Sanguineti
De Staat - Louis Andriessen
text fragments from Platos The Republique
conductor - Franck Ollu
Theatre of Voices
The Danish National Vocal Ensemble
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
video dancers - Jeppe Kaas Vad and Sarah Hedegaard Pedersen
staging & design - Jacob F. Schokking
videodesign - Alexander Fog & Jacob F. Schokking
lighting & projection - Vertigo Aps.
coproduced by Holland House & Danish National Symphony Orchestra
DR Concert Hall, 2018
DR radio broadcast, 2018
The press wrote:
What a great experience Thursday evening at the Concert Hall to hear the elite singers from Theatre of Voices and the Danish National Vocal Ensemble together with musicians from the National Orchestre going full throttle into Luciano Berio’s lively and liberating Laborintus II.
Stage designer, visual artist and director Jacob Schokking from the production company Holland House had chosen Berio’s labyrinthian composition and created a saturated, visual framework around this music, which is all about how we really want to live.
…the myriad expressiveness, rebelliousness and sensuality was put into sharp contrast by the rock solid Republic, staged like a music machine.
Thanks for this eye-opener to Schokking, Holland House, singers and musicians - and for such a consequent and sound concert concept.
Politiken - Thomas Michelsen
It’s a well deserved success. The music itself on an evening like this is sheer heaven for adventurous concertgoers.
Imagine: Luciano Berio’s phantastic Laborintus II from 1965 and Louis Andriessen’s rarely heard The Republique from 1976 in one and the same program!
To have it all staged by Holland House with Jacob F. Schokking as director turned out to be a great idea.
If one were to believe that a combination of music with abstract video-art and recordings of naked dancers would be too disturbing in relation to the music, one would be mistaken.
Berlingske - Søren Schauser
In director and designer Jacob F. Schokking’s staging Berio’s Laborintus II became an overwhelming statement, which animated both performers and audience.
Schokking designs visuals which together with the music create one harmonious whole.
With the same condensed energy in both music and staging Lois Andriessen’s The Republique was whipped out at the audience.
The singers distinctly chiseled out Plato’s text fragments, while naked bodies in sensual choreographies underlined the elemental force of the music.
A sound adrenalin rush.
Jyllands Posten - Christine Christiansen
part of video storyboard for Laborintus II
screenshots of some of the choreography for Laborintus II with Sarah Hedegaard Pedersen and Jeppe Kaas Vad