In 2023 we are inviting the audience on a journey through worlds! Entitled ODYSSEY. A Journey Through Worlds, the Linz Klangwolke 23 presented by Sparkasse OÖ and LINZ AG takes the public on a very special adventure on the river of life.
At the centre is a young girl who is the only survivor of an apocalyptic catastrophe. Since rivers are considered sources of life and renewal in almost all cultures, the girl wanders along the Danube in hope that the river will be her gateway to new worlds. On her adventure she gets to know foreign cultures, crosses distant countries, discovers new musical styles and dance performances. Driven by the winds of change, the brave heroine ventures into the unknown to find answers on how to save, revive and protect her homeland after this apocalyptic destruction.
Francesca Zambello, “storyteller”, artistic director and creator of ideas, will take the fans of Klangwolke on an unforgettable journey on 9 September. Together with her internationally renowned leading team, she will present a production that spectacularly combines video, light and sound design, aerial performance, acrobatic show and tap dance. Accompanied by the powerful sounds of symphonic waltzes, the passion of great opera melodies, the deep spirituality of a gospel choir and the rousing drive of percussion rhythms, the spectators will witness truly unique images that will leave them in awe. The Linz Klangwolke 23 merges into a synthesis of the arts on floating stages, a feast for all senses, for all age groups and for all people of this planet. See it for yourself and join us on an unforgettable journey: ODYSSEY. A Journey Through Worlds.
Francesca Zambello’s leading team is buzzing with exceptional ideas and creative talent. The internationally successful composer Laura Karpman (Composition & Sound Design) expands the limits of storytelling with her music and will create a unique atmosphere at the Linz Klangwolke 23.
Broadway stage designer Charles Quiggin is responsible for the stage design of Linz’s Klangwolke 23. Three completely distinct boats, each of which can also stand alone, were precisely planned and developed. In addition to the Tree-Boat, there are two other stage boats, the Zurcaroh-Boat and the Music-Boat. The eponymous acrobatic group Zurcaroh will perform a rousing show in colourful costumes, with expressive dance and spectacular acrobatic interludes. The inspirational and close collaboration between Light and Stage Design has given the lighting design for this Klangwolken production a very special status: Alongside Charles Quiggin, Manfred Nikitser and Marissa Munderloh use light as one of the main architectural features of each of the ship’s stage sets.
For the video design, Katy S. Tucker has developed an instrumentalisation to visualise the adventurous journey of the main protagonist.
Costume design also plays an integral role in the Linz Klangwolke 23. Reflecting the unique regions, it will enable the performers to be easily recognisable to the audience from a greater distance, explains costume designer Aleš Valášek. The variety of dance and movement styles will symbolise the various impressions of the different cultures. The choreography by Eric Sean Fogel, who has already created a number of productions with Francesca Zambello, will bring these impressions to life.
The internationally successful soloist Amber Monroe from Ohio will present her talent as a singer, and will be heard as both an opera and gospel singer. The Adrian Dunn Singers also guarantee
extraordinary musical moments and provide a goosebump atmosphere with their gospel singing. The musicians and singers will give an indication of the diverse regions visited by the heroine of the story through typical and lively musical styles. There will also be local participation from Linz: the singers of the Children’s & Youth Choir of the Landestheater Linz will demonstrate their skills but also their love for music. Young talents from Upper Austria will also impersonate the girl, the main protagonist of the play. The final casting is currently underway.
Dramaturg Kelley Rourke sees a great glimmer of hope in the story of the Linz Klangwolke 23. After all, the story is supposed to show how different peoples scattered all over the world can manage to live together in peace and harmony and to remember to protect their homeland, the planet that connects them all.
Credits
Presented by Sparkasse OÖ & LINZ AG