War Sum Up is a reflection that takes on this passionate theme with unusual impact in terms of both imagery and emotions. Standing as an evolution of the performing arts, this highly visual alternative opera blends ancient Japanese Noh Theatre lyrics and manga. The large scale drawings by Japanese artist Hikaru Hayashi are projected on stage to the sound of a mash-up of chamber pop, electronic and contemporary music co-written by British art-pop ensemble The Irrepressibles and Latvian composer Santa Ratniece, and performed by the Latvian Radio Choir.
Conceived by the Danish arts laboratory Hotel Pro Forma, the piece is an intense display of different art forms. The group is based in Copenhagen where it was founded in 1985 and has since kept a very small core of three people dedicated to the experiments and installations of trans-disciplinary arts, particularly known for its production of visual operas.
The juxtaposition of powerful imagery, lights and other scenic effects reveal a contrast between old tradition and new technologiesm as well as merging Eastern and Western ideas, aesthetics and philosophies.
Sung by 12 members of the Grammy-awarded Latvian Radio Choir, a group considered as one of Europe’s most innovative choral ensembles, War Sum Up runs through four distinctive parts, each of them led by a soloist character.
The woman in yellow is the game master who sets the show in motion, by starting the conflict, framing the story’s main protagonists: a soldier who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and decides to return to the battlefield to die; and the ghost of a Warrior killed in battle whose unnatural death prevents his soul from a natural transition to another world. The trio is completed by a Spy who must relearn her martial arts abilities to become a superwoman in order to survive captivity. The singing is perfectly combined to lead the audience into a world of light and darkness where a daring mix of sounds blends together men and machines as metaphors for an endless scourge of the human existence.
Pushing our senses to the limits, War Sum Up looks into both the glorification and abomination of armed conflict, confronting us with a unique chance to reflect on a universal subject. Through a mix of shadows, lighting effects, technical innovation as well as vocal skills, this masterpiece of visual and sonic contrasts will cause audiences to stare at their own reality with new eyes.
Date June 27
Time 8pm
Venue Macau Cultural Centre,
Grand Auditorium
Tickets MOP100 – MOP300
