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 Violin 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 violinist Peter Stein. Cologne festival ACHT BRÜCKEN presented the premiere at the WDR Funkhaus with violinist Hannah Weirich as a part of the Ensemble Musikfabrik‘s programme „Metamorphosen“ on 1. May 2018.

In front of empty orchestra chairs on the conductor‘s podium dancer Neus Barcons Roca dances a dialogue with Zimmermann‘s music, performed by the exellent violinist Hannah Weirich with the entire spectrum of ravishing dynamics to finest sounds. The dancer‘s spiraling unfolds with many variations within the limited space of the podium. She reflects the sonata with subtlety making a process from at first dancing tied to the score, then contrasting its timing and finally dancing wild and free. Musician and dancer give each other space, fire and support- without any forfeit of the expressive virtuosity for the challenging Violin Sonata and without reducing the dancer to an illustration.

Eyes and ears of the audience correspond harmoniously with this duet. Nevertheless it can also always decide to pay attention to the music only- closing the eyes or just watching the violinist- or to focus the dancing to the music. People with little contact to modern music have an easier access with the help of the dance and people with little contact to contemporary dance have an easier access with the help of the music. In this choreography both art forms benefit from each other.

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