October 11, 2024 – Part of Culture Night
An old folklore says that lunar eclipses are caused by a frog swallowing the moon. In many cultures, the frog appears as a symbolic creature, either as an ominous sign or a bringer of good luck. It plays a central role in Old Testament plagues, witches’ black magic, and alchemical processes. The frog’s life cycle is a process of transformation, allowing it to develop from an egg, to a tadpole, to a creature that can live both in water and on land. Its transformative qualities are at the heart of many folktales, where the message of inner beauty is realized when the frog turns into a human being.
Through five movements and stages, the piece revolves around the potentials of attempts and transformation. Attempts To Swallow The Moon is written for accordion, recitation, pedal steel guitar, piano, electronics, and quadraphonic loudspeaker setup.
Attempts To Swallow The Moon depicts yearning leaps toward the moon – a striving for the impossible, where the attempt to transcend oneself and one’s body, both as an individual and as a civilization, is marked by equal parts doubt and insecurity, courage and ambition, in both frantic ascents and descending falls.
Alexander Tillegreen is a composer and artist who operates visually, sonically and spatially. He works in a plurality of formats, including multi-channel sound installations and performances, interactive listening sessions and concerts, as well as exhibitions, graphics, commissions and publications. In 2023 he presented a cycle of sound works commissioned and premiered at the Darmstädter Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. In the same year, he released his debut album on the renowned German electronic music label rastermedia. In 2024, his works will be performed at Den Frie Udstillingsbygning in Copenhagen, ISCM World New Music Days in the Faroe Islands and Nordic Music Days in Glasgow.
K!art is an experimental music ensemble and creative platform based in Copenhagen. The group has been presenting DIY intermedia music events since 2019. For this concert, the band consisted of Mikkel Schou on pedal steel guitar and electronics, Rob Durnin on piano and keyboard, and internationally recognized accordionist Manca Dornik.
