See below a review from Organ Art Online Magazine. Sadly tonight is our final show so don't miss this opportunity to come down and se what all the fuss is about...
'THE RAIN EMPEROR – Village Underground, Shoreditch, Feb 26th
Once there was a man who loved the weather so much he composed music for it. Then the music was lost, somehow, but his daughter found that it was wonderful and drew many people together so that it would be played and heard. That's the basic story behind The Rain Emperor, but this music has a life beyond the notes that spills out to become more than just another gig or a mere recital. In The Rain Emperor these compositions have transmuted into ballet, cabaret, video projections, recorded sound and engaging performance art. The concert/play/art event utilises the glorious space of a converted Victorian warehouse that has pitch-dark arches and hidden nooks as well as a great, vaulted open spaces. The audience is ushered, one small group at a time, into darkness marked by shifting pools of light and divided by transparent curtains, the ushering was an event in itself but to tell you would be to spoil. They cross a miniature, harpy-haunted river Styx to the main rooms, but not before... no, the joy of this is in the uncertainty, the surprises, so we' really must resist detailed description and spoilers. This is an immersive experience, with actors mingling in character and a freedom to drift around and follow the shifting centre of action, the crowd forming and reforming around pools of light containing a must watch string quartet (the renowned Elysian Quartet) or a pianist or classical guitarist, or a dance wrapped in white or a girl who... no no, must not spoil by telling, your eye is darting around to pick out where the next bit will be . Without being obvious or cliched, the sensual delight of different weather is achieved with such elegance - a beam of sunlight on a wall, projections of autumn leaves - whilst human strangeness lurks in the shadows, part steampunk, part The Ring... The performance enhances rather than overwhelms the music: there's a lot going on but the recitals of work by a remarkable contemporary composer, deserving of more exposure, are at the very heart of it, wonderful avant classicalism of the highest order. There was no real stage to speak of, performance happening around us, crowd parting for the next thing then forming around that bit, the next dance, the next shaft of light, the next rain cloud, the next dancer or... www.therainemperor.com
www.myspace.com/elysianquartet
The Rain Emperor happens at Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, London EC2 on 26th, 27th, 28th February 2009
the rain emperorHere’s the blurb, looked and sounded good to us and made us go in the first place...'
FOLLOW US DEEPER IN TO THE STORM....
Visual arts company Beggars Velvet introduces rare scores from renowned composer Robert Jacob to form a multi-sensory live music, theatre and visual arts performance event. Fusing music, performance and visuals arts, The Rain Emperor leads the audience into a world full of obsession with the elements. With secret chambers, unexpected appearances and haunting music the performance will transcend the boundaries between audience, artists, sound and light. Stirring with mystery, the performance is played out in stages, with characters leading guests further into the storm. Set in a restored Victorian warehouse in Shoreditch, The Rain Emperor defies conventional expectations of theatre and music experiences. The performance was conceived by Robert Jacob’s daughter, Judy Jacob, and is set to be a highlight for the arts calendar when its takes place in February 2009.
The Rain Emperor is a concept based performance event, created to offer a fully immersive and unique experience for each member of the audience. Using Robert Jacob’s music as a backdrop and an inspiration for the other artists who are involved; the show explores Jacob’s music in every form, slowly guiding visitors through a series of vaults, passageways and atriums using sound, movement, light, film and performance. Shoreditch’s Village Underground makes the perfect home to this atmospheric art piece and will be transformed into a dark, mysterious world for the performance. The Rain Emperor promises to awaken a truly genuine sense of emotion; from vulnerability to excitement and exhilaration. It blurs the boundaries between the arts and invites the audience to experience chamber music and an entirely unexpected way.
