Game of Drones
“Breaking Waves” – The artist duo Drift lets drones dance around the Elbphilharmonie
What: Bertold Fabricius/PRESSEBILD.DE
Genesis Festival: For the opening of the Hamburg International Music Festival, the new creation of Haydn’s “Creation” by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under the direction of Alan Gilbert succeeds. Afterwards, the light performance “Breaking Waves” enchants in front of the facade – which had to be canceled for Friday.
EFirst great art in the hall, then great art around the building. The opening of the International Music Festival in Hamburg on Thursday evening went beyond the usual framework for this occasion, because the drone ballet “Breaking Waves” by the Dutch artist duo Drift was originally supposed to have its world premiere on the Elbphilharmonie’s fifth birthday on January 11th. The plan was for the 300 illuminated drones to dance to the live performance of Thomas Adès’ piano concerto. But it had to be postponed because of the pandemic and now took place for a recording of the anniversary concert, available as a live stream on the smartphone.
Luminous drones synchronize the waves of the Elbphilharmonie, contemporary classics and the Elbe
The moving and moving work of art achieved what the two drift artists, Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, had intended: seven minutes full of flowing wave movements that created a resonance space for the architecture of the building, as well as for the second movement of the concerto by Thomas Adés, representative for the musical heart that pulsates in the Elbphilharmonie – and for the waves of the Elbe that flow around the building. The synchronization of all these wave movements to a common experience for the spectators and listeners everywhere in the port, with a focus on the Landungsbrücken and on the musical boulevard in front of the “Lion King”, succeeded.
“Breaking Waves” – The artist duo Drift lets drones dance around the Elbphilharmonie
What: Bertold Fabricius/PRESSEBILD.DE
Many viewers followed what was happening on a boat trip from a barge or other ships. The police blocked the Elbe for shipping traffic for about ten minutes because the 300 drones flew to the Elbphilharmonie from the south bank. During the dress rehearsal the day before, a few things went wrong – including ten drones crashing – so that general director Christoph Lieben-Seutter looked forward to the premiere with composure. The project worth 800,000 euros, which had been in preparation for two years, was a success. It was financed by patrons (half a million euros) and the cultural authorities (300,000 euros).
Filigree aesthetics of the light performance bridges the gap between culture and nature
The vibrations of Adè’s music inspired the dance of the drones. As a fine game of drones, they measured the dimensions of the Elbphilharmonie and its shapes in orderly formations, mainly on the southern flank and in front of the western tip. In doing so, they apparently picked up impulses from the water surface, rose up on the outside next to the building and repeatedly rose above the height of the roof. The changing lighting of ever new constellations in the colors white, red and blue were a decisive factor for the design of the vibrations. Because Drift is about the representation of the perfectly created nature with high-tech means of expression. The reflection of the choreographies in the glass facade strengthened the impression of a wave that finally overtook the building in a spray of drones.
“Breaking Waves” – The artist duo Drift lets drones dance around the Elbphilharmonie
What: Bertold Fabricius/PRESSEBILD.DE
The artists emphasize the filigree structure of life in their work and, in addition to aesthetics, value functionality. Movable light installations by Drift can currently be seen in Hamburg for a good week longer under the title “Moments of Connection” in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. Museum director Tulga Beyerle recommended the artist duo for the anniversary installation to Elbphilharmonie director Lieben-Seutter. This was not at all reminiscent of the comparatively clumsy laser show at the opening in 2017 or even of the fireworks that are otherwise usual at the edge of the harbour. This time it wasn’t about the garish and loud, but about the enlightening, sensitive.
“The Creation” by Joseph Haydn leaves nothing to be desired in Gilbert’s new creation
Before the genesis of fine arts, the music festival opening concert by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, NDR Vokalensemble and WDR Rundfunkchor, conducted by Alan Gilbert, left nothing to be desired. The oratorio “The Creation” by Joseph Haydn also became an immortal artistic moment thanks to the soloists. Christina Landshamer, blessed with a soprano voice that is as pleasant as it is full-bodied and warm, shone alone and in a duet with the exceptional baritone Benjamin Appl, who has unbelievable clarity in speech and singing. Like the convincing tenor Benjamin Hulett, the third singer in the group, he also has an acting streak. All managed to touch their listeners directly.
The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the NDR Vocal Ensemble, the WDR Radio Choir and the soloists
What: Daniel Dittus
Haydn’s work shone in this new creation with the resident orchestra of the Elbphilharmonie, which has now completely internalized the acoustics of the hall and serves it with pinpoint accuracy. Since the quietest sound is so exhausted, as any overload is avoided. Gilbert takes the orchestra’s musicians by the hand and into his Haydn world of sound, which strongly carves out every nuance of the composer. The combined chorus of the radio stations was also a delight, the coordination with the orchestra was excellent, nothing was lost, nobody tried to steal the show from the other. This is how “The Creation” came into its own in all its power – including the onomatopoeic elements Genesis one and two.
On Friday evening, the “Breaking Waves” campaign had to be canceled because third-party drones flew with the previous performances, causing crashes. The aviation security authorities then prohibited another performance.