- James Dillon
The Acrobat (2022)
- Peters Edition Limited (World)
Commissioned for project "33,7" presented by United Instruments of Lucilin for Esch 2022 - European Capital of Culture, with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation
Commissioned for project '33,7' presented by United Instruments of Lucilin for Esch 2022 - European Capital of Culture First performed on 17 September 2022 at Esch-sur-Alzette, European Capital of Culture
- perc/eorg(kbd)/acn
- 10 min
- 23rd November 2024, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Programme Note
The Acrobat (2018) for Accordion, Electric Organ & Percussion (1 player)
"The Future and the Past are idle shadows
Of thought's eternal flight - they have no being:
Nought is but that which feels itself to be."
Percy Bysse Shelley [Hellas]
1845, from French acrobate "tightrope-walker" (14c.) and directly from a Latinized form of Greek akrobates "rope dancer, gymnastic performer," which is related to akrobatos "going on tip-toe, climbing up high," from akros "topmost, at the point end" (from PIE root, be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce") + Greek agential element -bates "one that goes, one that treads (in some manner), one that is based," from -batos, verbal adjective from stem of bainein "to go, walk, step"
The pedals, swells and figures of the two keyboards entwine a percussionist who conjures up the persona of 'the acrobat'; with a sleight of hand s/he moves between shadows of sound, stretching space ruptured by 'subito' pauses and jump cuts. The Acrobat, whilst a stand-alone work is destined to form part of a larger staged project throwing into relief the act of per'formance . . . zones of both 'intensity' and 'artifice'.
James Dillon
Commissioned for project '33,7' presented by United Instruments of Lucilin for Esch 2022 - European Capital of Culture