composer | director
Tast
2 sopranos, piano, percussion, sound track, video
duration: 25 minutes
Mikae Natsuyama, Gabi Wagschal, sopranos
Marion von Tilzer, piano
Hans Asselbergs, percussion
cast: Danielle van Vree, David Weber-Krebs, Emmy van Lier, Ger van der Grijn
camera: Lennert Hillege
film production: inexcelsisvideo
commissioned by NFPK and AFK
premiere: December 13 2002, Korzo, Den Haag.
March 2003: double bill at the Ballett Frankfurt of William Forsythe.
Int. prem. Weimar Festival, in collaboration with the Ballet Frankfurt
in memory of Hans Asselbergs. Friend, colleague, inspiration and collaborator.
TAST is a project in which film, composition, choreography and sound melt into one experience.
In two scenes, two couples struggle for contact. The first pair, in their sterile white-on-white endless Ikea-living room, a young couple find their book-reorganizing ritual disturbed by a severe nosebleed. They try to hang on to their choreography in an ever ongoing circle, driven on by the camera which is driving in circles all the time.
The second scene sets a warm homely feeling with a very old couple going through their daily rituals, albeit in total darkness. They have breakfast, do dishes, play piano, play records and dance; all in the dark, always searching for the other one. Their contact is loving and trusted, though surrounded by an uncomfortable emptiness. This scene was filmed using infrared technology; the actors were actually in the dark.
In the composition two sopranos sing Gregorian, timeless melodies: weaving in and out of phase with each other. Piano and percussion form the percussive and more modern counterparts of the composition, although they are obstructed and manipulated by the electronics, working both with and against them.
The result is a film and live music performance of 25 minutes. The musicians perform right in front of the screen, like they did in the times of the silent movies.
TAST permiered in Korzo theatre The Hague in 2001, where it was picked up by a talent spotter from the world famous William Forsythe Dance Company (then based in Frankfurt). Quite soon after TAST was performed in their Frankfurt theatre too, double-billing with a new work by choreographer Prue Lang.
X close image
Tast scene 1 film still
Tast scene 1 film still
Tast scene 1 film still
Tast scene 2 film still
Tast scene 2 film still
Tast scene 2 film still
Tast scene 2 film still
building the circular book-case living room set for Tast scene 1
director Arnoud Noordegraaf with actor David Weber-Krebs (right)
DOP Lennert Hillege and Rolf Dekens (with photo camera) as camera assistant
the set of Tast scene 1
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Tast was filmed in a custom made set on location (NDSM ship wharf in Amsterdam, 2002). To capture the right grain director of photography Lennert Hillege decided to film on 16mm film. Back in 2001 digital video was not even at a decent HD level yet. The second scene however with the actors in darkness was shot with a night-vision video camera that produces a greenish grainy image.
Credits:
cast: Danielle van Vree, David Weber-Krebs, Emmy van Lier, Ger van der Grijn
regie & compositie: Arnoud Noordegraaf
mimografie: Danielle van Vree and Arnoud Noordegraaf
camera: Lennert Hillege
camera assistent: Rolf Dekens
licht: Aage Hollander
best boy: Pieter de Beyer
art department: Esther Vossen
decorbouw: Werner Buijtenhek
grip: Frans Leiwakabessy (Gripwise)
first assistant: Teyl van Beest
set assistent: Luuk Vierhout
foley en geluidsmixage: Wart Wamsteker
make-up: Claudette Voorn
kledingontwerp en kleedster Renate Beatrice Munneke
catering: Jasha Meijer & Martien Stegeman
montage on-line Maarten Wemelsfelder (Tenfold)
musici: Mikae Natsuyama, Tanja Obalski, Marion von Tilzer, Hans Asselbergs
opnametechniek: Guido Tichelman
muziekstudio: Grasland Haarlem
geproduceerd door Arnoud Noordegraaf & Teijl van Beest
co-producent: Korzo Muziekproducties
licht EFF rigging Jurlights, Mark Flipphi & Jurjen Hesseling stock Kodak en Tapes negatiefontwikkeling Cineco scanning en tape to tape Valkiezer
met speciale dank aan: John Trehy (Holland Equipment) Mark van Bree (Kemna Casting) Tenfold
Henk Willem Spruit (BV Muizium) Bas Andries, Joris Pinkster, Remco Wagenaar, Jan-Willem Wit Jantien Gerdes, Michel van der Aa, Geert Jonkers, Jasper Wolf Manon van Melick, Iris Otten, Vanessa Vermolen
deze productie werd mede mogelijk gemaakt door:
Fonds voor de Podiumkunsten, VSB Fonds, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst
© INEXCELSISVIDEO 2002
Making of featurette
by Gonny Gaakeer