The first performances of Goldberg Variations - ternary patterns for insomnia have been performed in Sweden - to standing ovations and great critical acclaim.
The string orchestra and contemporary dance company will perform the piece in the UK from 13 to 21 November, taking in Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness, Aberdeen and Newcastle, before returning to Sweden for a 7-date tour early in 2016.
Read on for a selection of the critics' responses so far.
“I find myself having to sit with one of those happy smiles through the show and I realise that it is precisely this type of visual setting that people like me, a dance geek, usually miss when I go to classical concerts. So I think that Örjan Andersson manages to blend the best of both worlds - this is like an animated Bach concerto.”
Cecilia Djurberg
Sveriges Radio
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“The result is a musical feast... Magnificent music, the variety in the choreography and gentle humour, decidedly interesting dancers”
Peter Bohlin
nummer.se
“It seems like there are questions asked in each section and provided a wide variation of responses.”
Tina Kristina Persson
Smålandsposten
“Yes, you can let yourself go with Bach; his music is like a dance. Rhythmic, with distinct phrases. And it’s as if an irresistible burst of energy is making its way through the group of five dancers and eleven musicians that take the stage, facing the audience, in the introduction to Goldberg Variations - ternary patterns for insomnia. Örjan Andersson and the Scottish Ensemble create an open listening space where playful meets introspective and where relaxation feeds into intense concentration, sometimes insanely self-obsessed, sometimes lyrical.
“It is superb, tight. Sometimes the music itself is enough, then the dancers only need to sit still or comment on it physically or verbally in postmodern style. After all, Bach is timeless. And yet, they are drawn into the circulatory system of the music: the group that moves courteously or in patterns, the couple who move their hips in closely synchronised twirls or Danielle de Vries who dances an extrovert and introvert solo.
“...the ending is sublime. Alone with her double bass, Diane Clark picks out Variation 30, encapsulating the essentials of human relations, our ability to listen. Goldberg Variations is a generous dance concert that brings the human spirit to life.”
Anna Ångström
Svenska Dagbladet
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