Spirale, variations sur une dérive

DESCRIPTION
“Spirale” is based on the archetypal motif of drifting on the open sea. The work explores drifting in a broad sense: the loss of bearings and direction that can sap self-confidence, but also engender strength and the will to survive, infusing action with new meaning. As the adventurous urge to travel is gradually tainted by worry and confusion, it transforms into a sensory experience at the limits of human potential.
The score, developed with the creative complicity of Bruno Chevillon, is an exploration of the double bass and the many ways one may engage with it. The sheer size and weight of the instrument make it physically demanding, and the work is designed to showcase gesture. Bruno Chevillon’s musical performance borders on a work of choreography as he endeavors to stay the musical course, alone on a 4-meter-diameter wheel in constant rotation for 50 minutes.
The surge and swell of the sea, the endless horizon, altered memories and perception of time, moments of anxiety, hope, despair or anger, the harsh elements and stunning seascapes… All these serve as inspiration for the composition, images, and music.
The circular stage set-up positions the audience close to the musician at the heart of a maelstrom that gradually sweeps him away in sounds and images.