Rolex Learning Center Forum
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
A musical theater hall neighbors
Playing with vital stage space
5:15 p.m. – Introduction by Julien Annoni and Olivier Membrez, percussionists, invited by professor and musicologist Brenno Boccadoro
6:00 p.m. – Concert “GUETTEURS” (WATCHMEN) by USINESONORE
“Guetteurs,” or Watchmen, uses a repertoire composed for a trio of percussionists / actors to explore the notion of stage space.
The physical space, the energetic space, and the comfort space that a musician or an actor needs on stage can all differ fundamentally from each other. The level of the volume, the space the conductor of an orchestra needs to express himself, the field of vision, and the intensity of the lighting are just a few of the physical parameters that have to be satisfied on stage. With its original theatrical direction and lights that redefine the stage space, Guetteurs is an opportunity for the audience to examine these notions more closely and confront them with their habits as musicians and spectators.
“Guetteurs” can be seen as a continuation of Jacques Demierre’s “Une Table pour Trois ou la Troika s’ennuie,” which was first performed at the Amplitude Festival in 2009 and at the Jardins Musicaux, then in six shows at the Ethnographic Museum in Neuchatel, before it was taken up by We Spoke, who performed it over ten times in Switzerland, Europe, and Latin America.
UNISONORE: Julien Annoni, Olivier Membrez, and Serge Vuille studied together from 2005 at the Neuchatel Conservatory’s site in La Chaux-de-Fonds. During that time, Olivier and Serge even shared an apartment for several years. There they forged strong musical and personal ties with actors from the city’s cultural scene. Since then, they have been working together regularly in a variety of ensembles, performing at festivals in Switzerland and abroad.