Michelangelo Drawing Blood

Michelangelo Drawing Blood (2013)

A music-theatre work in one act

for countertenor, bass recorder, theorbo, percussion (timpani, dulcimer and tubular bells) and viola da gamba

Pre-recorded: SATB choir; trombone ensemble (alto, 2 tenors, bass)

Duration: 75 minutes

Inspired by Michelangelo’s sketchbooks, sonnets and figure studies, Michelangelo Drawing Blood uses as a starting point the artist’s own concept of “releasing” a sculpture, and explores the process of creativity and creation.

Through a series of a dozen scenes – episodic, real and imagined – the work contrasts Michelangelo’s conception of creativity and divine vision with his own internal struggles.

Choreography: Andy Howitt

Set design: Alex Robertson

Lighting design: Andy Hamer

Film: Barnaby Dicker

Recording engineer: James Clarke, Ty Cerdd studio

Production manager: Chris Wicks

Technical support: Alex Russell

Creative Consultant: Judi Hughes

Administration: Maja Palser

First performed at Forum Theatre, Malvern on 22 March 2013 with James Hall (countertenor), László Rózsa (bass recorder), Jamie Akers (theorbo), Michael Clark (percussion), Ibrahim Aziz (viola da gamba), Aaron Jeffrey (dancer) and Stefano Giglioni (actor)

Website for Michelangelo Drawing Blood

Images

Video

Press

“Barber’s score uses Renaissance instruments – theorbo, bass recorder, and viola da gamba – alongside contemporary percussion. Setting extracts from the Catholic mass and from Michelangelo’s own writings (even including a shopping list), Barber creates a palindromic structure over a series of 17 scenes. The music is atmospheric: the clear tone of James Hall’ss countertenor solos have a haunting quality, while antiphonal effects created by pre-recorded material, combining voices with brass instruments, add to the spatial experience…The sculptural element of Alex Robertson’s designs are captured on a suspended bas-relief, on to which video images are projected, but it’s the music’s balance of muscularity and sensitivity that emerges most strongly.”
Rian Evans, The Guardian, 4 April 2013

“This extraordinary piece of music theatre, created by Sound Affairs, is almost in the nature of a seance, a hypnotic blend of music, dance and theatrical staging which uses cleverly arranged light structures in a compelling way. The general theme is based on the sketches Michelangelo drew up for the Battle of Cascina a fresco he never completed. Two dancers present the artist’s strivings as he dreams of the fresco, he will never bring into the light. Here male nudity is used throughout the evening to underline Michangelo’s adoration of the male body as a conduit to the mind of God. This is bravery of a kind I rarely meet with in the theatre.”
Richard Edmonds, Birmingham Post, 2 April 2013

Irving’s Words (blog)

Performances

22.03.13	MALVERN	Forum Theatre
27.03.13	CARDIFF	Sherman Cymru
25.04.13	LONDON	Southbank Centre, Purcell Room
26.04.13	MANCHESTER	Royal Northern College of Music
27.04.13	LIVERPOOL	Unity Theatre
03.05.13	CAERNARFON	Galeri
07.05.13	CAMBRIDGE	Mumford Theatre
08.05.13	SPALDING	South Holland Centre
09.05.13	BIRMINGHAM	mac (Midlands Arts Centre)
10.05.13	SWANSEA	Taliesin
17.05.13	BRECON	Theatr Brycheiniog
14.06.13	CHESTER	Music Festival
11.07.13	CHELTENHAM	Music Festival
07 – 15.08.14	EDINBURGH	Fringe Festival, Augustine Church

Produced by Sound Affairs with the financial support of: Arts Council of England, Arts Council of Wales, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Radcliffe Trust, Hinrichsen Foundation, The Leche Trust, Gibbs Charitable Trust

Michelangelo Drawing Blood