Contemporary circus performance
40'
PROGRAMMME
Uvertura
Allegro sostenuto
Staccato risoluto
Morbido
About the performance
Etude for prepared piano and rope is a concert in which you can hear sounds that you would never consider to have come out of a piano. An ordinary disassembled piano is set on the floor with strings turned up, reminding us of a harp, offers a whole universe of possibilities for musical experimentation. By her use of classical and experimental manipulation, the performer conducts a concert primarily played by an aerial rope.
Everything in the world is connected, it co-exists and co-affects. The author Danijela Zajc explores the interaction of a prepared piano with classical acrobatics on an aerial rope. Her movements are transformed into rope oscillations which in turn change into sound waves of different frequencies and amplitudes, modulated by concurrent sound processing by Tine Vrabič /Tjaž Juvan. Thus sounds get transposed back into movements and vice versa, interacting with the audience. The oscillations passing from the performer onto the spectators create interactions open for unpredictable situations.
In her conception the author poses the questions: How do our bodies and emotions respond to the environment and social reality? To what extent this reality gets reproduced back and to what extent can we change it? Are we constantly in the process of searching for an equilibrium? At the micro as well as the macro level: from reacting to the sound of a string to reacting to capitalist devastation. The idea for this work stems from the author’s involvement in the Cirkusarna Naokrog, an autonomous space in the squatted Rog Factory in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which was forcefully evicted and demolished in 2021. It was there where the author found and prepared the old piano. The Autonomous Rog Factory left a lasting mark on the author. This work is a tribute to the Factory!
Video: https://youtu.be/RwxrgrFcQTI?si=VCoZczkO8mcG1LQ0
Collaborators
Conception, choreography, music and movement: Zajc Danijela
Consultant director: Jaka Andrej Vojevec
Costume designer: Tanja Pađan
Sound creation and design: Tine Vrabič / Tjaž Juvan
Light designer indor/outdor edition: Gregor Kuhar / Maja Pahor
Design of concert programme: Nevena Aleksovski
Thanks to: Tjaž Juvan, Enja Emeršič, Eva Zibler, Branko Potočan, Pia Skušek, AT Rog
Producer: Društvo Mismo Nismo
Executive producer: Danijela Zajc
Co-producer: Društvo Matafir
Financial support: Municipality of Ljubljana, Slovenia 2022
Tehnični rider
Technical needs
The performance includes aerial acrobatics on a rope and experimental music performed on a prepared piano lying on the floor, its size is 100 x 140 cm. The piano is connected to contact microphones which are connected to a computer (effects) on stage.
Outside - should be on quiet area
It is possible to perform in daylight, however in the night the light design gives added value. The setup of the construction and piano plus sound check takes aproximately 3 hours, in case of evening performance 4 hours.
What is needed:
- a relatively level plane surface approx. 10 x 15 m to set up the construction, or rigging at 6m height with a stage/performing area approx.. 10 x 10 m.
- Sound system:
2x active speakers (e.g. RCF, HK, Martin audio)
1x active subwoofer
2x monitor - 1 for the acrobat, 1 for the sound designer
- Powerfeed for the computer on stage
- Cables DI box – mixer
- Light designer – on stage to the side:
Table
Powerline with 6 plugins
Chair
- Transport of the piano to the venue + assistance for carrying it from the van to the stage: 2-3 persons
On agreement we can provide
- Sound system
- Van (for transport of the equipment)
- Aerial construction
- Assistance with the set-up
Lights in case of evening or indoors performance
- 4x Fresnel light (2 on each side)
- 1x focus light for the piano
- Backlight
- Light setup simultaneous with the construction setup - in case some lights are attached to the construction
- The organizer provides the light designer (unless agreed otherwise)
TEAM:
Author, acrobatics, music: Danijela Zajc: danijelazajc@gmail.com, 040/366-522
Sound design: Tine Vrabič: tine.vrabic@gmail.com, 031/776-768
Assistant director and tehnic support: jakandrej@gmail.com 040/366-522
Vse početje je dobesedno, materialno, fizično. Mišice in težnost proizvajajo gibe. Gibi proizvedejo zvoke.