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Collaboration with the historical music ensemble Die Freitagsakademie

“Delirio Amoroso” is a dance production for four dancers organized by Joshua Monten and the Bernese historical music ensemble Die Freitagsakademie. It was premiered at the 2013 Musikfestival Bern. At the center of the project is Handel’s cantata “Delirio Amoroso” for strings, oboe, basso continuo, and countertenor.

The name “Delirio Amoroso” sounds as if it came from the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” Indeed, recent studies show that romantic love is nearly indistinguishable on a neurochemical level from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The rounded edges of Handel’s music are contrasted with our case-study in fluctuating brain chemistry, clumsiness, gender-bending, eloquence and delusions of grandeur.  The result is a dialogue between music and movement, emotion and form — daring but faithful, ironic but affectionate, physically inventive and baroquely complex.

CHOREOGRAPHY

Joshua Monten

DANCE

Derrick Amanatidis
Yannick Badier
Raquel Miró
Nicky Vanoppen
Vittorio Bertolli [alternate]
Jack Wignall [alternate]

COSTUME DESIGN

Verena Leo

LIGHTING DESIGN

Jonas Bühler

VIDEO

Simon Paetau
Tim Hawkins

PHOTOGRAPHY

Christian Glaus
Philipp Zinniker

PRODUCED BY

Tough Love

WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS

Kultur Stadt Bern
SWISSLOS / Kultur Kanton Bern
Burgergemeinde Bern
Migros Kulturprozent
BEKB / BCBE
Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung
Stanley Thomas Johnson Stiftung
Bürgi-Willert-Stiftung
Stammer- Mayer Stiftung
Familien-Vontobel-Stiftung
Gesellschaft zu Ober-Gerwern
Zentrum Paul Klee
Verein Die Freitagsakademie

PERFORMANCE HISTORY

13 September 2013 — Musikfestival Bern, Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern (CH) (premiere)
13 September 2013 — Musikfestival Bern, Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern (CH)
16 April 2015 — Phönix Theater 81, Steckborn (CH)
17 April 2015 — Phönix Theater 81, Steckborn (CH)
6 February 2016 — Théâtre de Colombier, Neuchâtel (CH)