Grosse Sonate
Malone, Robinson, Caddell and Lund perform at the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC in 1999. Photo by Bruce R. Feeley.
Robinson, Caddell and Lund in performance. Photo by Bruce R. Feeley.
Premiere
Production
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Choreographer
Twyla Tharp
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Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (Hammerklavier, or,
Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106, 1818)
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Live Musician
Paige Hoffman
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Lighting Designer
Jennifer Tipton
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Costume Designer
Norma Kamali
Dancers
Description
Grosse Sonate is a quartet for two men and two women; two contemporary dancers and two ballet dancers. Tharp maximizes the diversity of the cast and the movement options they bring. The dancing is courageous and moves through the architecture of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata with power and determination. The dancers jump off the wooden panels placed upstage – soundboards bouncing the dancers back towards the audience.
Grosse Sonate is a celebration of dance, the commitment it requires and the satisfaction it returns.
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Commissioned by
through the Doris Duke Awards for New Work.
Past Performances
- 1999