Alma Mahler lived in the turbulent first half of the 20th century.
She was a composer, wife to Mahler, Gropius and Werfel, mistress to Kokoschka,
Klimt, Zemlinski, and Alban Berg’s muse. She also inspired the renowned theatre
collective SKaGeN into a catchy story about human pride and loneliness in a
mixture of theatre and music.
Annelies Verbeke wrote a new theatre text full of grotesque
lightness about the Alma figure, in which SKaGeN could celebrate their
creativity. Also on stage are sixteen singers from Octopus Soloists, under the
direction of Bart Van Reyn. They provide an impressive musical contribution
with transcriptions sung in polyphonic manner, written by Mahler, Wagner, Berg,
Alma Mahler herself, and a composition by young Ostend composer Joachim Brackx.
It will not leave you unmoved.
‘Almschi! The best of Alma Mahler’ is a
theatre production by SKaGeN & Octopus Soloists. This performance was
created as part of Ostend Cultural City of Flanders 2010 and with support of
the Flemish Government.
