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.


WATCH TRAILER HERE (1MIN)

DOWNLOAD ARTIST STATEMENT ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE HERE (PDF)

VIDEO BY CHRISTIAN BREMS

PHOTOS BY MALTHE IVARSSON