Waltz

The notes lost their former clarity, but gained a strange, outlandish freedom. Lightly, almost weightlessly, the melody drifted away in a whirlwind. The boundaries of the room dissolved.

The butterfly slowly unfolded its wings, two miniature paintings painted by nature itself. The wings trembled, as a dream trembles in the mind before awakening.

The project “Fragments” features a series of iconic opera scenes recorded during lockdown at musicAeterna’s home residence, Dom Radio in St Petersburg. With their signature perfectionism and dedication, Teodor Currentzis and the musicians have spent many hours rehearsing and recording in the studio in order to capture the true expressiveness of the performed masterpieces. Each of the recorded scenes will get its own visualization by various filmmakers who will create videos that reflect the concepts behind the music. The first recording in the series is taken from Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata and is made in collaboration with NOIR Films (St Petersburg), a team of video artists that specializes in experimental films and video art.

The story is about the daily labor of an artist that is often hidden from the viewer. The student from the Imperial Academy of Arts works on his diploma painting 'Alarm bell' and continuing the traditions of the Russian painting school. The protagonist of the film is Ivan Loginov, who leads a monologue that immerses the viewer into the process of creating the painting.

A living cultural monument: a love letter to the legendary St. Petersburg House of Radio, which has served as a place of power for people of art for decades.