w19141
| Title | fRagmEnteD |
| Contributors |
Claire McCue (composer) Anna Clifford (choreographer) |
| Composition date | 2011 2011 |
| Duration (mins) | 0 |
| Category | |
| Instrumentation | Fl/Picc Cl (Cymb) T-sax Bsn Hn Tpt Trb Perc Bd Sd Glock Vib Sus-cymb Pf 2Vn Va Vc Db 5 dancers |
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| Notes | |
| Programme Note | fRamEnteD is a piece for large ensemble and five dancers. When I initiated the collaboration, I was keen to really work together with a choreographer on creating a very integrated piece and allowing the choreographer creative freedom from the beginning, too, not simply writing a piece of music which would then be taken away to be choreographed. From the initial conception of the piece, I worked closely with the choreographer Anna Clifford, who also wanted to work in this way, and we derived the overall nature, structure and progression of the piece together. Our starting point was bringing together our individual ideas involving identities, fragments and interpretations of the word RED. Choreographer's Note: "fRagmEnteD was inspired by the colour RED. I wanted to explore the simple and more complicated meaning and interpretations of the word itself as well as the many connotations attached to it. The contradictory nature of its connotations made it an interesting influence on the work, leaving space to explore its symbolic and emotional meaning. While creating the music and movement for fRagmEnteD, a narrative emerged. The piece expresses how co-existence and our relationships can affect or change who we are, and often define our identity. And what happens when we get lost along the way and try to rediscover who we were or try to find who we are." (Anna Clifford) fRagmEnteD is based on the idea of different identities. Each dancer is represented by one of the 5 string instruments used (violin 1, 2, viola, cello, double bass) and a particular style of choreographic and musical character. The piece then explores how these different identities co-exist as a group. After unison and breakout dance sections, there is a frantic climax, after which the dancers are left searching for themselves. They slowly rediscover fragments of their individual identity and attempt to re-unite as a group, though for some this may be difficult to re-establish. During this, one dancer is standing still for a long time (represented by the long held note on the cello), and key musical and thematic visual moments tie together. The score is tightly integrated with the choreography. (Although most of this was hypothetical at the time of composition, the first two dancer's themes were composed to actual dance sequences). Lighting effects during performance also tie in with the themes and the colour RED. |
This work is associated with the following collection items:
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