in one day
Concept: Lin Xiangning and Bevin Ng
Movement artist: Chia Poh Hian
Pianist: Lin Xiangning
Artistic direction, producer: Bevin Ng
Poster by Clarisse BuAbout the work
This is an interdisciplinary collaboration between a pianist, dancer, and theatre practitioner. The concept was to—“in one day”—conceive, create, produce, and perform an experimental production based on Franz Schubert’s Sonata in Bb Major. Written merely 2 months before his early death at 31 years old, the 45-minute mammoth of a piano sonata feels much like a condensation of life on its peace, growth, terrors, hopelessness, joy, and frenzy. 31 years is relatively short for a human life, but compared to that a mayfly, who lives and dies within a day, perhaps the perspective shifts. A life can therefore be experienced to the fullest within its given container, be it 31 years, a day, or 45-minutes.
In that spirit, we decided to create a work in one day, akin to the life span of a mayfly. On 15 December 2022, our day began at 6am. After hours of setting up, devising—and everything in between such as eating—we performed the work at 8pm, right about the time the mayfly is prepared to face death.
in one day
A little more…
This was the first time that any of us had collaborated, or done such an experiment before. The working process and mind space that I inhabited during the performance was totally raw and new to me.
Two days before the 15th, three of us met to briefly talk through some initial ideas. I played excerpts of the sonata for Poh and Bev to introduce and briefly familiarise them with key structural audio markers. How will this turn out? How will the 45-minute of performance feel? These were questions that were constantly at the back of my mind.
I learnt the sonata about two years ago, and because of COVID-19, had not yet the chance to perform it live. The opportunity to revisit it, along with the layers of added meaning, was an experience that deeply moved me. Seeing Poh Hian (metaphorically the mayfly) dance amongst mollusk shells that have lived a life beyond any of us really brought the concept full circle.
Photos by Frances lee