To understand the conductor‘s work as a form of embodiment of music and to express the essence of a music in his place through a dancer - in dialogue with the music - was the initial idea of this solo to the Viola Sonata of Bernd Alois Zimmermann, one of the outstanding German avant-garde composers (1918 – 1970).

A preview was shown on the occaison of the composer‘s 100th jubilee at his city of birth Erftstadt for the Bernd-Alois-Zimmermann-Society with violist Peter Stein. Cologne festival ACHT BRÜCKEN presented the premiere at the Philharmonie with violist Mathias Buchholz as a part of the programme „...to an angel‘s chant“ of the Ensemble of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln on 1. May 2018.

During the composing process of the Viola Sonata as a Requiem the composers new born daughter died.The complex and fragmented sounds assemble together to form their base, a choral, resulting into the most important work for viola solo since 1955. In front of empty orchestra chairs on the conductor‘s podium dancer Barbara Fuchs dances a dialogue with Zimmermann‘s music, performed by the excellent violist Mathias Buchholz. It means a challenge for listeners not used to Modern Music. Britta Lieberknecht‘s choreography uncovers the physical substance behind the spiritually challenging score and helps to perceive its organic and emotional layers. Brabara Fuchs shows grief, loss and hope through physical expression provoking strong imagery resonating with the complex music. „With reduced movements she creates an interpretation of the composer‘s process of grieving wich works together with the sound figures in a fascinating way.“ (critic below)

She starts standing behind the violist touching him, swinging with him - or leading him as an angel?- and lays down on the conductor‘s podium with crossed legs pointing to the sky. Her dancing - sometimes sculptural and always effecting strong imagery – is abstract and leaves space to the music. Musician and dancer are connected, each could be an angel to the other. Together they create an atmosphere of magic.

Thanks to ACHT BRÜCKEN | Musik für Köln and the Bernd-Alois-Zimmermann-Gesellschaft

Kölner Stadtanzeiger (Rainer Nonnenmann)

ACHT BRÜCKEN I Works of Zimmermann in the „Freihafen“ programme

Complete excerpt from the review of the festival programme

„Choreographer Britta Lieberknecht made her own counterpoint to the solo sonatas for violin and viola, masterfully played by Hannah Weirich and Mathias Buchholz. Free as well as deriving from the musical gestures, rhythms, timings and energy states dancer Neus Barcons Roca and dancer Barbara Fuchs moved either in an acrobatic or expressive way or with trifling ease.“

Tanznetz.de (Christina – Maria Purkert)

Excerpts from the review about the performances of both sonatas

Listening to Angels

„The conductor‘s podium belongs to the dancer. It is her playground. Because the orchestra chairs are empty, the podium is free. Only the dancer and a soloist appear. She does the opposite of what a conductor would do: she does not lead the musician and her instrument with her gestures and poses, she lets herself being moved by what the musician plays... It would be desirable that those puristic, concentrated and touching solos would get a lot of audience in the future.“

About the Sonata for Viola solo „..to the chant of an angel“

„At the beginning Barbara Fuchs lays her hands on violist Mathias Buchholz‘ back. Does she sense his breathing, his movements or is she a subtle leader, an angel who accompanies him? When the dancer detaches from the musician and goes into her small, limited space she takes with her more the inner resonance than his physical movements wich she sensed...Pain and suffering become more concretely comprehenbsible than in the other solo – but also here Britta Lieberknecht stays away from stereotypes. Like in the second choreography she wants less to find a form to express a feeling but to sense the inner movement stimulated by the music. Here she is close to mysticysm wich suggests to search deepest religious experience in ones inside and finally in abstraction. With her interpretation Barbara Fuchs succeeds very sensitive to show inner movement, not overlayering the tenderness of deep feelings with expressive or indicative gestures. When after the last sound she slowly swings her arms and hands with fading waves the audience is so silent and concentrate as she herself. Listening to the fine chanting of an angel.“