TAKE MY BREATH AWAY
PREMIERE 2023, GLYPTOTEKET, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
PERFORMANCE, 10MIN
THREE PERFORMERS, OBOE, SAXOPHONE, VIDEO PROJECTION, HEADSET MICS, BREATH, COSTUMES
COMMISSIONED BY NEW CARLSBERG FOUNDATION
CONCEPT, DIRECTION, CHOREOGRAPHY: MIRIAM KONGSTAD
PERFORMED BY: FRANCESCA BURATTELLI, SIGRID STIGSDATTER MATHIASSEN, MIRIAM KONGSTAD
MUSICAL COMPOSITION: FRANCESCA BURATTELLI, NICOLAS FEHR, MIRIAM KONGSTAD
PROJECTED VIDEO: KARI LEIGH ROSENFELD
MUSICALLY QUOTED SONGS: All By Myself (Celine Dion, 1996), Careless Whisper (George Michael, 1984), I Can’t Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt, 1991), I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston, 1992 / DollyParton, 1974), Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinéad O'Conner, 1990), Take My Breath Away (Berlin,1986), Un-break My Heart (Toni Braxton, 1996), Without You (Mariah Carey, 1993)
Take My Breath Away is based on the Greek term catharsis, which translates as purification or cleansing, and refers to various forms of emotional release experienced through intense physical exercise, cognitive reflection, or sensory impressions. The performance comprises a trio choreography and a musical composition for oboe and saxophone, which quotes fragments of emotional pop classics intertwined as an electronic and acoustic soundscape. Both bodily, emotional, psychological, social, and ceremonial aspects of the term are emphasized through explorations of the relationship between catharsis, pathos, and the ritualistic. Based on a feminist reading of the notion, the piece is composed as a symbolic, ritualistic sequence of events, notably referring to the iconic moment in the history of popular culture when, in 2003, Madonna kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards. This provoked an outcry and an emotional scandal, whilst simultaneously catalyzing a global sensation of collective catharsis. The performance is accompanied by a text by the artist.
VIDEO BY CHRISTIAN BREMS
PHOTOS BY MALTHE IVARSSON
