A Project combining storytelling with Beethoven’s Music
in collaboration with pianist/composer Emir GAMSIZOGLU
Premiered in Caffe Vivaldi – West Village , New York – 2010
Drama in Beethoven starts with Ege, introducing herself, and explaining how she became a “constant” classical music listener while living in their Upper West Side studio with Emir:
My life changed since I started to live with Emir. I became a constant classical music listener. What does that mean? Let me explain, we live in a studio apartment in the city. The space is our living room, bedroom, kitchen, my workspace and also Emir’s piano studio. So the music is in my life whether I like it or not.
Then she continues, this time about Emir, and how he started to play the piano at the age of 20, after quitting his career as a basketball player. She tells us about his relationship with the music and how he visualizes stories in his head while playing the piano:
The most interesting thing about him is not his last name, but the fact that he started to play the piano at the age of 20. Before, he was a basketball player. And since he didn’t have the childhood of an ordinary classical pianist, which is basically sitting in a room and practicing, he built a different relationship with music. He visualizes the music.He matches sceneries, little events, full stories, dialogues or monologues with music.
The whole idea for Drama in Beethoven comes from this life experience. We have to build our unique experience with music. Stories can lead us to a direct relationship with classical music and this relationship is going to be different than the ones taught by parents, teachers or books. Because this is going be ours and ours only.
Performance photos are from Drama in Beethoven in Caffe Vivaldi, West Village New York – 2010
Click here to visit project’s webpage
© 2010