From Earth to the Moon

Apr 7
3 min read

Fot

An interdisciplinary artistic experience is the proposal behind the concert "Da Terra à Lua"-“From the Earth to the Moon.” The title is inspired by the homonymous work by writer Jules Verne (1865), and presents a concert that brings together musical works and images addressing the human relationship with the earthly and the celestial. Throughout the three parts that structure the program, reflections are raised on the human condition on Earth and its impulse to challenge the forces of nature in pursuit of the intangible. These reflections are represented not only through works from the concert music repertoire, mostly from the late 18th to the early 20th century, but also through poetic voices and images presented in audiovisual creations. Together, soprano and project creator Nívea Freitas, pianist Wagner Sander, and composer and electronics performer Felipe Romagna propose a lyrical and reflective evening on celestial themes, experimenting with the intersection of traditional and contemporary performance.

“In this concert, we propose a concept for the traditional ‘voice and piano recital’ format, but one that offers a more creative and experimental perspective. In considering the theme ‘From the Earth to the Moon,’ the repertoire was chosen both from pieces that already address themes related to the human relationship with the terrestrial or celestial, and through the recontextualization or reinterpretation of works that were not originally connected to the proposed theme but, within this new context, acquire new interpretative possibilities. The aim of this concert is to explore the connection between tradition and contemporaneity, which has also been a challenge and an experiment for us as performers. Beyond the traditional soprano and piano format, composer and electronics performer Felipe Romagna will, at certain moments in the concert, intervene in the repertoire, electronically altering both the sound of the voice and the piano,” explains creator and soprano Nívea Freitas.

Divided into three parts, “From the Earth to the Moon” takes the audience on a sonic journey that explores different facets of the relationship between humanity and the universe. From the admiration of the vastness of the cosmos to the search for answers about our place within it, each part of the performance presents a new perspective on the theme. The presentation seeks to promote an aesthetic experience through the combination of elements from musical tradition with the possibilities of contemporary technology.

A series of videos is being created by Studio Mobius, piece by piece from the repertoire, in an attempt to add another visual interpretative layer to the concert. Poetic voices from the literary universe will also be part of the construction of this concert, appearing as elements of surprise and reflection. “We hope the concert will not be merely a space for musical appreciation, but one of immersion and reflection, where each piece and each section of the concert can be perceived as part of a larger narrative about humanity, its connection to the Earth, its impulse to master the forces of nature, and ultimately its ascent to the heavens,” explains Nívea Freitas.

In addition to the concert production, the project also produced a documentary that reveals the behind-the-scenes process, includes interviews, and presents data on how cultural projects economically impact the city’s artistic ecosystem, “Creative Economy in Perspective: Behind the Scenes of From the Earth to the Moon”.