Castellucci gives the classical song recital a good shake-up in a disruptive performance
Schwanengesang D744 from Romeo Castellucci – perhaps the world’s leading avant-garde director – takes its name from Schubert’s best-known song cycle. This was the final composition before his death in 1828, his musical testament. Soprano Kerstin Avemo stands centre stage, at a striking distance from pianist Alain Franco. Seemingly emotionlessly, she performs the recital of Schubert. The viewer listens and watches, puzzled in the dark. The time glides by, the darkness presses in. Deteriorating, she turns her back on the audience. Where first the singer stood, an actress now appears. True to form, Castellucci gives the classical song recital a good shake-up. How is it possible that these songs still have such a universal appeal? What starts out as a recital stripped down to its essence, degenerates into a confronting performance about the voyeuristic violence of the viewer. With Schwanengesang D744 Castellucci gets to the root of music’s emotional power. Meditative, disruptive and sublime.