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From a technical standpoint, the idea of merging these artforms (classical performance and video art installation) presents a number of challenges which highlight how formulaic the traditional presentation methods of each have become. Indeed, from the very kernel of the mixed arts concept, there emanates an incongruity which manifests itself at almost every level of planning and execution. For example, for a show such as this to run successfully, two key things are required:

1. Concert hall acoustics – to really immerse the audience in the musical side of the show, to bathe them in sound.
2. Theatre style rigging and lighting facilities – for all the rest of it: the installation of any set, to build the atmosphere with lighting cues and effects: the general razzle-dazzle

Now these two things, as it turns out, aren’t mutually exclusive – many halls and venues can be adapted to house and present a wide variety of shows wonderfully. But it is quite rare that a venue has facilities which excel in both areas.

And why should they? We are in a transitional period where technology is only just allowing this kind of project to exist – to bring it hurtling from the artists’ imagination and right into practical reality. And many halls and theatres were built a long time ago to do their job, to be a theatre or a concert hall, and do it extremely well. The thing is – like jumpers on a school playing field – the goalpoasts are moving.

And then, there’s the performance.

For video and live music performance to coherently and meaningfully share a stage, they each need to be a living, breathing entity. One cannot be slaved to another. If a musician is playing to a metronome, or concentrating on hitting certain notes at certain cues in the video, is that really a fully nurtured performance?

Part of the appeal of live music in general, for me at least, is that one can share a journey with the artist, and an audience can interact with the performer, even through silence. They can affect the mood and tone and tempo and texture of the concert. They can share the peaks and the troughs, the fortes and the pianissimos of the piece with an almost tangible sense of occasion and communication – which I can only imagine has been a treasured feeling warming the hearts of audiences since Homer was touting his Odyssey, and before.

So if we were to get to the present day and decide that a musician must play at a fixed tempo to concede to the whims of a stubborn video installation, trundling along at its own pace, we would be throwing all that away – an unthinkable concession. No, today we have the ability to pitch the video to coincide with the performance.

With a video operator who knows the cue points within the video, and knows the music and is able to marry the two in performance, the musician/s can play with complete freedom. Therefore gaining all the benefits of mixed arts concerts, with none of the drawbacks.

And what are the benefits? How about a completely new re-imagining of a work? Adding a new dimension to what has become a predictable format. In today’s society, where we absorb so much information through visual media, taking audiences on a completely different journey to hearing the music alone – and using a sense that is often neglected in classical performance.

Such an addition is arguably akin to the transition from mono to stereo, from Standard Definition to High Definition. Experiencing something familiar in a completely new way. Sure enough, there have been failures. Quadrophonic sound came and went, Betamax lost out to VHS, but these are merely stepping stones, the victims of progress, of technical natural selection.

And just like the poor MiniDisc players gathering dust, long forgotten in the back of so many drawers the world over, there have been and will be mis-matches and a learning curve in mixed arts performance. But I believe that the continuing technical and artistic development will yield great things in the future.

We’ve always had the imagination, we have the technology – now we should brace for exciting times.

So, without further delay, here is what the press had to say:

Pictures Reframed – Leif Ove Andsnes and Robin Rhode

Leif Ove Andsnes on stage in Risør, Norway

“This unexpected clash is already one of the artistic sensations of 2009.” – Le Vif (Belgium)

“Economic and stylized, the pictures reply (to the music) in a playful and deliberately naïve manner.” – Liberation (France)

“By creating video works that literally breathe and pulsate to the tempo at which Andsnes performs, Rhode has helped to create a throroughly modern evocation of the piece and brought the concept of music responding to image full circle.” – Dazed and Confused (UK)

“It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to submerge a grand piano for art’s sake, but Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes knows a good image when he sees one…Five graphic panels in dreamy shades of gray and a central video projection frame Andsnes—a dashing, compelling figure on a bare stage—and create an exhibition space for his interpretation. From the ambling, almost erratic ‘Promenade’ themes that connect the suite’s two halves to the ecstatic crescendo of a finale in ‘The Great Gate of Kiev,’ the 135-year old piece gets a new lease on life in this contemporary context.” – Time Out New York (USA)

It Felt Like A Kiss – Punchdrunk, Adam Curtis, Damon Albarn

“A remarkable requiem for post-war affluence and idealism.” – The Daily Telegraph *****  Full Article

“what it does, with considerable brilliance, is offer a blitz of images in which politics, pop and movie culture combine to show how America came to dominate not only our collective dreams but, increasingly, large sections of the planet.” – The Guardian

“I’ve stepped through the screen and into a new Curtis film. Every sense is immersed in the experience. Navigating through this rich world of evidence, movie-goer becomes movie maker as we each find our own narrative.” – BBC Art & Culture

Spectrum – Avant Garde Dance

“Skilled choreography and ensemble… Stunning visual effects… So slick.” – The List

“Thrilling to watch… Strong group of skilled and expressive dancers.” – FringeGuru

“Bold, inventive dance… Awe-inspiring.” – The Stage

Edward Aczel Explains All The World’s Problems… And Then Solves Them

“You will either emerge from an Edward Aczel show refreshed and reminded of the infinite scope of comedy . . . or angry and convinced that a dull marketing manager from Aylesbury has just been wasting your precious time.” – The Times Online Top 50 Edinburgh Fringe Shows Feature

“One of the most original acts in years…an hour in his company is a hilarious and uncomfortable joy” -  The Guardian

“Aczel borders on comic genius.” -  The Herald

“Quite how someone can be so hilarious without any actual jokes is nothing short of sheer genius.” – Evening  Standard

“I laughed for the whole sixty minutes. I think he is a minor comic genius.” – Time Out

It is with an appropriately overwhelmed sense of eclecticism that I write to report on the festivals that 8th Circle has been working on this summer.

Manchester International Festival

In its second year, and nearly over as I write, the festival has brought a smattering of pretty much everything to Manchester. We’ve had opera, ballet, classical music in a stunning acoustic and the obligatory processions and general merriment.

This year, I worked on a show called It Felt Like A Kiss, a “psycho-political theme experience” set over 5 floors of derelict office space in central Manchester – a pleasure to work on. The festival is returning in another 2 years.

Risør Kammermusikkfest, Norway

Set in the wonderfully picturesque harbour-town of Risør, the chamber music festival was themed around Revolution – that is, it featured works by revolutionary composers (Beethoven was central to the programme), or composers who lived in the thick of a cultural or social revolution. The concert I worked on was called Pictures Reframed. More info here.

It was an incredible experience, not only because of the rich concentration of such high calibre musicians, but because of the refreshing local culture. The locals in Risør were so accomodating, friendly and trusting (one restaurateur allowed me to leave the premises to get cash after they failed to take my card, and a local resident freely told me her pin number as I assisted her in using the cash machine, without thinking twice!) A beautiful place, a great festival and I hope to go back again one day.

Rochdale Feel Good Festival

Held over one weekend in Rochdale, this festival fits snugly into the theme of eclecticism. I took care of two events over the weekend, both of which were of outstanding quality in musicianship and entertainment value. The first show was made up of fine folk musicians, featuring Nancy Wallace, Will Tang, The Random Family and John Smith. I have never heard an audience go so quiet so quickly (in a good way) as they did when John began his set with an acapella vocal.

The second event I engineered was an evening of avant garde, experimental, modern classical music by Nonclassical artists. Really intriguing, beautiful, devastating pieces. These chaps are based in London, but will hopefully make a return to the north in the near future.

That’s all so far – next month, 8th Circle Audio is at the Edinburgh Fringe working with Show + Tell and Hartshorn – Hook on a number of shows. Updates and photos to follow over the coming weeks.

So please bear with us as we iron out the glitches, and please feel free to comment with your feedback/suggestions for the future.