Blank Out
Michel Van Der Aa
September 21, 2017 - September 27, 2017
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
Composer Michel van der Aa is a multidisciplinary figure in the contemporary music scene, combining composition with film, stage direction, and script writing. Classical instruments, voices, electronics, actors, video, apps and even web browsers are all seamless extensions of his broad musical vocabulary, allowing him to create works that are as visual as they are aural.
This dynamic young creative voice comes to the Armory for the North American premiere of his latest work, a chamber opera for soprano and 3D film. Soprano Miah Persson sings live, combined with replayed loops of herself and the voice of baritone Roderick Williams on film to create haunting musical passages and ensembles. Based on the life and work of South African poet Ingrid Jonker, this groundbreaking work combines live action, innovative techniques of interactive film, and inventive music to consider human memory, the ways in which we reconstruct and deal with traumatic life events, and notions of individual realities.
Performances
Thursday, Friday, Monday &
Wednesday at 8:00pm
Sunday at 3:00pm
Run Time
This performance is approximately 70 minutes without an intermission.
“Van der Aa is a master of many media: the production incorporated video projections of his own devising, and involved only one live performer, the luminous soprano Miah Persson. At the same time, its deft, fluid vocal writing conveyed a piercing story. Rarely have modern techniques and ancient musical virtues coexisted more naturally.”
The New Yorker
“Past and present, live and electronic sound, present and imaginary characters, two- and three-dimensional worlds — all interweave in a surreal tapestry of illusion.”
New York Magazine
“Michel van der Aa is a pioneer, creating operas that inextricably merge music, live performance and 3-D film. … It is impossible to separate the visuals from the music, and the effect is disturbing and unforgettable.”
The Wall Street Journal
“Mr. van der Aa is among the most perceptive composers to fuse musical thinking and technological imperatives”
The New York Times
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Artists & Creatives
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Soprano
Miah Persson
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Baritone (film)
Roderick Williams
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Choir (film)
Nederlands Kamerkoor
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Composer, film, and stage director
Michel van der Aa
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Dramaturg
Sophie Motley
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Lighting Designer
Floriaan Ganzevoort
Production Credits
A Production of Dutch National Opera
Adapted by Park Avenue Armory
Related Events
Friday September 22, 2017 at 6:00pm
Artist Talk: Blank Out
Composer and director Michel van der Aa and soprano Miah Persson discuss the creation of his chamber opera with composer Alexandra Gardner.
Wade Thompson Drill Hall
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The North American premiere of composer, director, and librettist Michel van der Aa's groundbreaking new operatic work that blends live performance, technical innovation, and immersive film, starring soprano Julia Bullock and baritone Roderick Williams.