From aesthetics to athletics

The best theater festival of the autumn, 4+4 Days in Motion returns again this year with an innovative, international program. Though smaller than in previous years, the 10-day festival offers a potent mix of multimedia performances, all of which are accessible in English.

The word "motion" in the festival's title may refer to the fact that the performances are surprisingly mobile, taking place at several venues across the city, including Archa Theater, La Fabrika, the building of the former institute of Folk Art Production on Národní street and Studio Alt@-Hala 30 in Výstaviště.

Belgian architect and painter Filip Berte opens the festival Oct. 15 with Collective Memory Mass Grave, a visual project based on Berte's travels throughout Europe. A series of exquisitely detailed scale models portray European urban landscapes in an expression of the paradoxes and difficulties of modern life.

A Dance Tribute to the Art of Football, by Norway's Jo Stromgren Kompani, is both aesthetic and athletic. This award-winning piece - which was performed this summer at the World Cup in South Africa - investigates the most graceful aspects of football through ballet (Oct.15).

At the heart of this year's festival are two collaborative performances by composer and pianist Kris Defoort and actor Dirk Roofthooft, both of whom are Belgian (Oct.16-17). Brodsky Concerts features Roofthooft's dramatic recitations of nine poems - in English translation - by Russian Nobel Prize-winning poet Joseph Brodsky set to original music by Defoort, who tells The Prague Post that the performance "is a kind of intimate live radio play."

"Dirk is literally reciting the poems, and I'm manipulating an electronic tape, together with playing piano live. Every evening is slightly different in the sense that there is a great deal of improvisation within a strict form. We are constantly listening to each other. We hope to stimulate the imagination of the public, so that every individual can make his own interpretation," he says.

The idea for the collaboration came from the performers' shared love of Brodsky's poems. The Russian poet, who died in 1996, was expelled from the USSR in 1972 for his political views, which found expression in his poetry. Brodsky fled to the United States, where he became a citizen and was eventually appointed Librarian of Congress in 1991 after receiving the Nobel Prize in literature in 1987.

Brodsky's poems are known for their sharp imagery and strong political stance. Defoort says it was Brodsky's use of images that initially drew him to the poems, and persuaded him that Brodsky Concerts would be feasible.   

"Brodsky's poetry is very concrete and at the same time broad and abstract. It leaves a lot of space for musical imagination. His poetry often starts from a detail and zooms out to bring it to a larger context. I use the same technique to compose electronic music. Every 'sound' starts from a detail in the voice or piano and is being transformed constantly, becoming a complete other 'world,' " he says.

Defoort is internationally renowned as a musician and composer, and Roofthooft has made a name for himself in Flemish films and theater. Despite both performers' affinity for Brodsky's poetry, putting two great talents - and genres - together in a way that does justice to all involved is a challenge, Defoort says.

"Proceeding with an actor is very different from writing an opera, for example. I made the composition by experimenting with colors and tones for weeks, rehearsing with Roofthooft and constructing the form together. Also, a lot of improvisation is involved to give us the freedom to be in constant dialogue. We're walking the thin line between being naturally a musician and 'acting' the words," he says.

4+4 Days in Motion will feature more than a dozen performances. With such a wide variety of shows on offer, even the most critical viewers will find something that suits their tastes.

Stephan Delbos can be reached at
sdelbos@praguepost.com