From mad reality comes the sanity of art. “My whole village was crazy,” writes composer Tan Dun. “We had a professional crying team available for hire at funerals and deaths…a shamanistic choir to set the mournful tone.” In Chinese folk culture, “ghosting” is a verb: an active conversation with the spirits of the past and the hereafter.
In Tan’s composition “Ghost Opera”, part of the first concert presented in the IMA’s newly renovated Tobias Theater this Friday, gongs talk to splashing water (yes, water); stones talk to cymbals, and the breath of a monk talks to a Chinese lute (a pipa). It’s going to be a visually stunning, dramatically lit piece in which the musicians won’t be sitting still.
Photo courtesy of Nana Watanabe
This event is the result of a collaboration between the IMA and the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis — an excellent partnership. IVCI is selling the tickets for the November 21 performance, entitled Virtuosos & Visions—click here to get yours.
I’m hopeful we will not need a professional crying team here in the week before The Toby opens. In the past month has been filled with the installation of an awesome sound system, 35mm projectors, and yesterday, a movie screen. Last week we unpacked the Comfy Sacks, massive red bags filled with recycled packing material, that will probably be the most coveted seats in The Toby when we show a film. Ushers will likely have to break up fights over who gets to sit in the Sacks. Ushers also get to experience Toby events for free. [Interested? Go here].
If you come to the concert, feel free to reply to this post with comments.
Here’s to an auspicious beginning for the IMA’s Tobias Theater…
November 18th, 2008 at 3:35 am
I wish I could be there for that performance. I saw Tan Dun a few years ago in an improvised performance with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Very impressive.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:56 am
This will probably be one of the most exciting concerts in Indy for the 08-09 season. I’m really looking forward to it!