BAKU
By jerome baur
music for theatre
Soundtrack composed by Jerome Baur
TRAILER
75 mn show - Denmark and Japan - 2015
Created by Giacomo Ravicchio (Denmark) with the collaboration of Kohey Nakadachi (Japan). Music by Jérôme Baur (Lausanne, Switzerland). This is a co-production between The Kio Company in Osaka, Japan and the Meridiano Theatre, Denmark.
Premiere: Denmark 2015: April 20-26, APRIL FESTIVAL and at the TACT FESTIVAL, Osaka, Japan 2015.
“BAKU is an important and powerful performance!” - POLITIKEN - Teatret - Nonna Dithmer
ABOUT
BAKU is a visual and musical performance about ’war and loss’ for ages 12 and up. “BAKU” is a spirit, in the shape of a tapir that eats evil dreams. No matter who declares them- selves the winner of a war, the result of war is always ’loss’ for all parties involved. The biggest nightmare in the world is always about loss. http://www.meridiano.dk
BAKU is a chimera from the Japanese mythology, illustrated by an "assembly of animals" which differs according to the regions: tapir, elephant trunk, ox tail, rhinoceros eye, lion claws or tiger.
The Baku plays an important role in Nipon culture because as long as this creature can feed on metal, it absorbs the nightmares of men (or, pestilence and evil). When a war begins, metal is requisitioned to create weapons. In fact, the nightmares are thus released and come back to haunt the men.
The two directors started from this legend of the BAKU to create a show that speaks, among other things, of the inexorable human violence, where, when a weapon is present, it will inevitably rage at one time or another.
Thus, during the course of a bullet, several tragedies unfold before our eyes. One takes place in 16th century Japan, the other in Sarajevo in 1991 and also in New York and Asia today. Very quickly, borders and time break down to reveal only the relentless "pattern" of violence in the hearts of men.
In opposition to the death drive, the BAKU appears, dies and is reborn through the ages in the image of the life drive of which "humanity" is capable. From this great mosaic appears little by little a print of the eternal fight between the two forces.
In view of the dark current events to which this creation never refers directly, it is (in my opinion) an act of Resistance. With all the humility and strength to which a theater can of course claim.
CREDITS
On stage: Korin Sakura, Elise Müller-Ravicchio, Nyoze Gamon, Lars Begtrup
Artistic Director: Giacomo Ravicchio
Production: Cie Meridiano Theater, Denmark
Dramaturgy Consultant: Bent Holm, Denmark
With the collaboration of Kohey Nakadachi, Artistic Director of KIO Theatre, Japan
Music by Jérôme Baur, Switzerland
Stage technician: Eva U. Handberg
PRIX HORSENS
PROFESSIONAL AWARD TO GIACOMO RAVICCHIO AND THE MERIDIANO TEAM - EXCERPT FROM THE SPEECH AT THE HORSENS AWARD Børneteater FESTIVAL, DENMARK - 20.09.2015.
The Prize Committee of the Horsens Børneteater Prize states here the reasons for the choice of the winner: This year's winner encompasses both genius and collective strength. Each winner of the Horsens Børneteater Prize receives this award for his or her outstanding contribution to the promotion of children's theater and its professionalism - for example, through a unique artistic profile.
This year's winner can boast of this and much, much more. It is also not surprising that this year's winner was a frequent guest of the Theatre Festival here in Horsens (unlike other Theatre Festivals, the Horsens Festival chooses and invites every year a selection of theater companies to present to the public).
This year's winner knows very well what it means to start a new career from scratch and literally (re)make his way in the world. This year's winner is not only recognized by the profession in Denmark. In the rest of the world as well, he has been able to expose his art with many more shows than you can imagine: this is not something we can realize when we see his works on stage here, really not. Unless of course you have studied the totality of his performances and his history beforehand.
The award winner I am talking about has a very recognizable look and you are never in doubt about "who is doing the show" when you pass him. If the main task of art is to touch our hearts, to change our perception of the world, to make us question and think more deeply - it is, as this year's winner knows how to handle, the real Art.
The audience is amazed when they meet him, regardless of age and origin. This year's winner has his own words to create simply a universal expression, able to speak to people beyond all borders.
We award this year's prize to a theater company that is the product of a hard working collective, combined with a unique image creator and a true visual genius. A theater company that has received many honours abroad but has not yet been rewarded here. This theater company is here tonight and you can already guess who it is.
A selection of what the Danish and foreign media, critics and spectators have said about the winner:
"The strongest and most beautiful theater we have done in Denmark"
"A theater with international stature..."
"The highest level a theater can dream of reaching..."
"Staged with remarkable ingenuity"
"Visual magic."
"A theater of a scope that allows it to be of international level"
"Poetic and technical superiority created."
"A miracle of the stage - and probably the most original and evocative theater"”Après cette énumération, vous ne serez pas surpris que le Prix Horsens Børneteater est décerné, à... Meridiano Teatret !”
During the Horsens Festival, Meridiano also performed the world premiere of its new show BAKU, in co-production with Cie KIO, Osaka, Japan. This work is undoubtedly the darkest and most committed of all those created by the director Giacomo Ravicchio. This is because of the seriousness of its theme and the intelligence of the theatrical, visual and musical expression used to share it with the audience!
GALLERY
