PRIMORDIAL: SA Regional Tour
“PRIMORDIAL”, for piano and diverse media, commissioned by the Hon. Christoper Schacht and Soundstream.
A World Premiere SA Regional tour as part of South Australia’s History Festival in May 2021.
BOOK TICKETS FOR:
BURRA THURSDAY 20TH MAY 5.30PM
MELROSE FRIDAY 21ST MAY 5.30PM
BLINMAN SATURDAY 22ND MAY 5.30PM
WAROOKA SUNDAY 23RD MAY 5.30PM
PORT AUGUSTA FRIDAY 28TH MAY 5.30PM
WHYALLA SATURDAY 29TH MAY 5.30PM
PORT LINCOLN SUNDAY 30 MAY 5.30PM
PIANO: GABRIELLA SMART
MUSIC: CONSTANTINE KOUKIAS
TAPE SOUND DESIGN: MISCHA DUNCAN TE PAS
LIGHTING DESIGN: JASON JAMES
SOUND TECHNICIAN: DANIEL PITMAN
PHOTOGRAPHY: JACK TANNER
A MUSICAL SOUNDSCAPE THAT CONDENSES SEVERAL MILLION YEARS OF SHIFTING TECTONIC FORCES AS THE FIRST COMPLEX LIFE FORM ON EARTH EMERGED. THIS IS PRIMORDIAL, A UNIQUE MERGING OF SCIENCE AND SOUND.
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN COMPOSER CONSTANTINE KOUKIAS (AUS/NETH) AND PIANIST GABRIELLA SMART, PRIMORDIAL CONCEPTION IS INSPIRED BY THE DISCOVERY IN AUSTRALIA OF ONE OF THE OLDEST LIFE FORMS ON THE PLANET, THE EDIACARA, WHICH LIVED OVER 550 MILLION YEARS AGO. PRIMORDIAL IS A VISCERAL LISTENING EXPERIENCE THAT CAN BE PERFORMED INDOORS WITH STAGED LIGHTING, OR OUTDOORS AGAINST CHOSEN DRAMATIC BACKDROPS. THE WORK COMMENCES WITH THE THE ERUPTION OF TECTONIC PLATES THAT FORMED THE FLINDERS RANGES AND THEN TRAVELS THROUGH TIME TO FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE EDIACARAN FOSSILS, THE FIRST ANIMALS OF LIFE; WHEN SMOTHERED BY SAND, THEY WERE FOSSILISED AS MINERAL ‘DEATH-MASK IMPRINTS’. THE PIANO AS WE KNOW IT IS REINVENTED, ITS RESONANCE REFLECTING A HAUNTING, FRAGILE PRIMAL SOUND WORLD OVER 50 MINUTES.
KOUKIAS IS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FOR HIS STRIKING OPERATIC VISUAL DESIGN. HIS COMPOSITIONS HAVE EARNED ACCLAIM FOR THEIR MESMERISING, ATMOSPHERIC QUALITIES. THE INTIMATE SOUNDS OF THE PIANO ARE JUXTAPOSED AGAINST THE RE-IMAGINED PRIMORDIAL EDIACARA SOUNDSCAPE. THIS IS VISCERAL, IMMERSIVE ART.
REVIEWS OF THE ATHENS PREVIEW SHOWING:
“KOUKIAS’ SHARP AND AT TIMES FRAGILE MUSIC MIRACULOUSLY REFLECTED THIS VAST LANDSCAPE ON THE EDGE OF THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT” THOMAS TAMVAKOS, ARCHIVE OF GREEK CLASSICAL COMPOSERS
“GABRIELLA SMART WAS RAVISHING AND MYSTICAL… WITH A CONQUERED TECHNIQUE”. PANAGIOTIS ANDRIOPOULOS ATHENS 2020
“ANCIENT SOUNDS STREAM FROM THE PIANO AND MAKE US SIT UP AND LISTEN”. SOFIA THEOFANOUS, ASSOCIATION OF THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL REVIEWS – ESTIA ATHENS 2020
