We go back in time to the beginning of cinema's rich history. The discovery of the moving image captured the imagination and the possibility of special effects boosted creative ideas. But providing films with sound was not yet possible. A musician or orchestra accompanied the performances live, a foley artist imitated the sounds in the film and sometimes an actor spoke the lyrics.
For Pianoscope, video artist Erato Tzavara chose a series of films from the old box, dusted them off and adapted them for this performance. Musician-composer Filipe Raposo provided them with new music and gets behind the piano himself. Assisted by musicians Babette Craens and Rémi Decker, he breathes new life into old films.
To complete the show, the audience also gets a role in this extraordinary circus of image and sound. Zonzo Compagnie once again experiments with sound and music and with the possibilities of involving the audience in a playful dialogue.
credits
compositions Filipe Raposo
video design Erato Tzavara
stage design & script Purni Morell
lighting design Manuel Abrantes & Ana Catarina Carocinho Carvalho
technical design Arthur De Vuyst
performance Filipe Raposo and Babette Craens (piano) and Rémi Decker (foley artist)
A production of Zonzo Compagnie in co-production with Fabrica das Artes (Centro Cultural de Belém) and Opéra de Rouen (Normandie). With the support of the European Union's Creative Europe Programme. With thanks to Ed Devane.