MEDIATHEK

Schattenlos (Shadowless) marks the latest instalment of a series of contemporary musical theatre works devised by the artistic director of Junge Oper Berlin, Birgit Grimm. Initially conceived as a contemplation on money, the project quickly developed a broader spectrum, linking Adelbert von Chamisso's Peter Schlemihl's Miraculous Story to modern economics of attention, consequences of wealth and the fate of those left behind. Following these ideas, Steffen Thiemann wrote the libretto, interweaving three layers. First we meet Peter Schlemihl's shadow, years after he sold his shadow, trying to persuade him of the benefits of having a shadow – to no avail. The second layer consists of extracts from the original story, telling the history of the two opponents. A selection of Chamisso's poems forms the third layer, reflecting the character's emotional state. From Thiemann’s text, Margarete Huber created a work for two singers, piano and playback. In her unique style, linking microtonality, ethno-musical influences, electronics and classical German song, a new listening-experience was created in a 90-minute non-stop composition. The performance is staged in a black room, the audience on two sides, its sight guided by a complex arrangement of hanging plastic boards, which also challenged the two singers Nicolás Lartaun and Benoit Pitre and of course director Birgit Grimm, who created a complex and intense evening.