Ellen Fullman, photo by Styrous®
Last week I had the pleasure of experiencing and photographing the performance of "Compositions for the Long String Instrument" by Ellen Fullman at the Berkeley Art Museum.
The Long String Instrument is an installation of dozens of wires fifty feet or more in length, tuned in "Just Intonation" and bowed with rosin-coated fingers. Fullman began developing the instrument in 1981. She has also developed a unique notation system to choreograph the performer's movements, exploring sonic events that occur at specific nodal point locations along the string-length of the instrument. The sonic results are amazing.
photo by Styrous®
photo by Styrous®
The performance began in darkness with only her hands lit with small video cameras mounted on each hand. The images from the cameras were then projected on the walls of the museum.
photo by Styrous®
photo by Styrous®
The long, sensuous drones produced by the instrument were trance inducing, nicely accommodating the blanket & bean bag fitted audience.
When the first piece was finished, she was joined by Emily Packard on violin & Theresa Wong on cello. A trio par excellence.
Emily Packard & Theresa Wong, photo by Styrous®
Ellen Fullman, photo by Styrous®
Fullman was joined in the next selection by Gretchen Jude & Dave Douglas.
Attending the performance was dancer Anna Halprin whose dance troupe performed "Parades and Changes," in celebration of the inaugural opening of the Berkeley Art Museum in November 1970, almost forty years ago.
Anna Halprin's "Parades and Changes"
The event was breath-taking!!!!
Ellen Fullman has collaborated with such notables as Pauline Oliveros & The Kronos Quartet. She has performed in venues and festivals in Europe, Japan, and the Americas including: Instal, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Other Minds, the Walker Art Center, The Whitney Museum and Donaueschinger Musiktage. She has an extensive discography.
Styrous® ~ December 9, 2009
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