Torment of Hearts (2025)
Femke Gyselinck & GRIP & B’Rock Orchestra
A few years ago, Femke Gyselinck was introduced to Bach’s ‘dialogue cantatas’. Johann Sebastian Bach is as baroque as it gets. In his oeuvre, the dialogue cantatas occupy a special place, a rare opportunity to hear heaven and earth in conversation.
Femke and B’Rock Orchestra decided to think outside the box: What other music could they add? From which period? Contemporary as well? What dance language could they use? What, if any, is the overarching theme?
The result is Torment of Hearts, in which three dancers, two singers and an ensemble of seven musicians give shape to different manifestations of loneliness triggered by four pieces of music from three different centuries.
The theme of the searching soul from Bach’s dialogue cantata Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen (1726) is also found in the song An die Einsamkeit (1717) by his contemporary Johann Philipp Krieger.
We leave the world of early music with the song Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen (1901) from Gustav Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder.
Finally, we land in the twenty-first century with new music written specially for this production by composer/keyboard player Hendrik Lasure.
All this music will be performed by B’Rock Orchestra with Cecilia Bernardini on violin and singers Jonathon Adams & Deborah Cachet.
CREDITS
MUSIC CONCEPT Femke Gyselinck, Jan Van den Borre
CHOREOGRAPHY Femke Gyselinck
DANCE Amanda Barrio Charmelo, Femke Gyselinck, Thomas Vantuycom MUSIC Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Philipp Krieger, Gustav Mahler, Hendrik Lasure
B’ROCK ORCHESTRA Cecilia Bernardini: violin and artistic direction, Nele Vertommen: oboe, Jonathon Adams and Kristen Witmer: vocalists, Rebecca Huber: violin, Raquel Massadas: viola, Julien Barre: cello, Tom Devaere: double bass, Claudio Ribeiro: harpsichord & organ COSTUMES Nel Maertens in collaboration with Woche Jewelry (Clarisse Bruynbroeck)
SCENOGRAPHY Aslı Çiçek
SCENOGRAPHY PROJECT ASSISTANCE Olivia de Bree
SCENOGRAPHY INTERNSHIP Francesca Desantis
LIGHTS Elke Verachtert
SOUND Milan Van Doren
DANCE DRAMATURGY Steven Michel
PRODUCTION GRIP & B’Rock Orchestra (Sharon Buffel, Claire Desmedt, Hanne Doms, Albert Edelman, Anneleen Hermans, Rudi Meulemans, Lize Meynaerts, Klaartje Oerlemans, Jennifer Piasecki, Sylvie Svanberg, Aglaja Thiesen, Davina Van Belle, Toon Vannieuwenhuyse, Nele Verreyken)
INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION A propic – Line Rousseau, Marion Gauvent
CO-PRODUCTION Concertgebouw Brugge / Dans in Brugge, EFFEA, STUK, Perpodium
RESIDENCIES KLAP maison de la danse Marseille, Cultuurcentrum / Dans in Brugge, P.A.R.T.S, KWP Kunstenwerkplaats, Kunstencentrum nona, Rosas Performance Space, GC De Kriekelaar, Kunstencentrum Buda, Workspace Brussels – Studio Les Brigittines, Campo Victoria
THANKS TO Monty, Rataplan
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF the Flemish Government, Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government via Cronos Invest, The Torment of Hearts residency is supported by the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists – EFFEA, an initiative of the European
Festivals Association (EFA), co-funded by the European Union
For more information, press map, riders and financial conditions please contact Line Rousseau or Marion Gauvent