Photo credit: Pete Woodhead
(3 / 5)
As the Multitudes fest continues at the Southbank, I must confess some displeasure. I vastly recommend the festival produce a brochure like they did last year. A member of staff lamented that forty-five people had expressed this disdain. A theme there! I loathe PDF links to pop on my phone, for reviews the physical form is easier. Even just having a physical ticket is also a thrill. Let’s make this happen.
After the ecstasy of a cinematic Turangalîla-Symphonie the night prior, we’d get an international flight from Circa and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Heralding from Melbourne, both groups have impressed with what their city can offer. Can dance, by way of circus meld with Baroque? Paul Dyer on harpsichord, artistic director would play off and on (some moving minature organ playing would feature also), yet the string players get the distilled meat and veg meal of the work. Bach’s last work remains a mystery. Is the last page missing? How would it have faired in performances in his own day? How could this work with movement?
The artists in Circus impress with feats of physical prowess and endurance. Yet, I did ponder where was the emotional core to the whole thing? Many attempts of acrobatics on top of one another, with resting posting upon the lower persons head and other body parts was tense, truly. You were witness to the strain this had upon the person below bearing the weight of the those above. Many leaps and lunges, as other dancers either capture or let’s those in flight plunge. Some aspects of connection featured, many homoerotic phases came and went, the ladies have stand offs and solos too.
Within these tensions made seeing these players stack themselves up two stories is both alarming and gripping. Yet how many times do we want to see this in a work at an hour and a half in length? Many lucid gatherings saw these dancers swept away en mass as they hardly touched the volcanic ground. Choreography by Yaron Lifschitz, holds many ideas, some work, some don’t. I think it might be recommended a touch more variety come out. Maybe its because I’ve seen seeing the work of Pina Bausch at Sadler’s Wells and the idea of movement is challenged and embraced together. Was my mind elsewhere?
The orchestra are soft, gentle in their playing. No trip ups, yet they feature a subtle ear I’ve heard little of over the years. This might not be Bach’s most clever nor emotional work, I dare say other pieces from the great composer would fare better with Circa (Goldberg Variations, the Passions etc). I do enjoy the collaboration between artists in varying fields, uniting as one. Though this paying off, might pehaps be another other discussion…for another time.
The Art of the Fugue continues till 25th April 2026.
Multitudes continues till 30th April 2026