went to the barbican for the first time yesterday.
partly for work, partly to see a performance in the evening.
its a oddly quaint, quietly heroic place and i want to live there more than ever. in the barbican, there is a theatre, a symphonic hall, an art gallery, a man-made lake, restaurants, 8 storey apartments and 20+ storey towers. there are many levels of public walkways leading to the various entrance lobbies and its a mini-city built in sometimes heroic, sometimes overly whimsical brutalist manners. there are walkways on top, below, in between ... quite a mini-city really. and in answer to the question posed to me by mark prizeman and david greene way back in 2001 - yes, i do like the spatial quality of the barbican and yes my design is a bit like the barbican but rather than to create a self-sufficient piece of the city, i am designing spaces that connect to, enhance and are integral to the city and its functioning/life.
the performance i was party to was THE BLACK RIDER.
Direction, set and lighting by
Robert Wilson
Music and Lyrics by
Tom Waits
Text by
William Burroughs
Costumes by
Frida Parmeggiani
Original musical arrangements by
Greg Cohen and Tom Waits
Dramaturgy by
Wolfgang Wiens
it was fantastic. i have watched but a few musicals and a few plays in my time but always found even the best somewhat wanting. they were a bit of a fantasy that fell short of something that would make me wonder; or a play that is so serious that it forgets pace or other aspects that make a performance absorbing except for its appeals to sharing its concerns with the audience, etc. but the BLACK RIDER was fantastic.
The Black Rider tells an updated version of a 19th century story of a clerk who makes a Faustian contract with the Devil, accepting magic bullets to win the hand of his beloved in a shooting contest. Wilson's vivid images paid homage to German expressionism, Waits performed a shotgun marriage between Tin Pan Alley and burlesque horror music, while Burroughs' politically acute librettos gave unique insight into the mind of a character whose actions lead to tragic consequences.
i found the stage design wonderfully layered(literally and metaphorically), music was exciting and playful, flamboyant yet necessary; the movements and actions well written and full of (possible) connections. it was a wonderful evening for me even if i felt that it was probably not a vintage performance by the american cast. such an experience. i recommend it to some of you.
alright. back to work.
partly for work, partly to see a performance in the evening.
its a oddly quaint, quietly heroic place and i want to live there more than ever. in the barbican, there is a theatre, a symphonic hall, an art gallery, a man-made lake, restaurants, 8 storey apartments and 20+ storey towers. there are many levels of public walkways leading to the various entrance lobbies and its a mini-city built in sometimes heroic, sometimes overly whimsical brutalist manners. there are walkways on top, below, in between ... quite a mini-city really. and in answer to the question posed to me by mark prizeman and david greene way back in 2001 - yes, i do like the spatial quality of the barbican and yes my design is a bit like the barbican but rather than to create a self-sufficient piece of the city, i am designing spaces that connect to, enhance and are integral to the city and its functioning/life.
the performance i was party to was THE BLACK RIDER.
Direction, set and lighting by
Robert Wilson
Music and Lyrics by
Tom Waits
Text by
William Burroughs
Costumes by
Frida Parmeggiani
Original musical arrangements by
Greg Cohen and Tom Waits
Dramaturgy by
Wolfgang Wiens
it was fantastic. i have watched but a few musicals and a few plays in my time but always found even the best somewhat wanting. they were a bit of a fantasy that fell short of something that would make me wonder; or a play that is so serious that it forgets pace or other aspects that make a performance absorbing except for its appeals to sharing its concerns with the audience, etc. but the BLACK RIDER was fantastic.
The Black Rider tells an updated version of a 19th century story of a clerk who makes a Faustian contract with the Devil, accepting magic bullets to win the hand of his beloved in a shooting contest. Wilson's vivid images paid homage to German expressionism, Waits performed a shotgun marriage between Tin Pan Alley and burlesque horror music, while Burroughs' politically acute librettos gave unique insight into the mind of a character whose actions lead to tragic consequences.
i found the stage design wonderfully layered(literally and metaphorically), music was exciting and playful, flamboyant yet necessary; the movements and actions well written and full of (possible) connections. it was a wonderful evening for me even if i felt that it was probably not a vintage performance by the american cast. such an experience. i recommend it to some of you.
alright. back to work.
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