Barkarole, 2016
Music and light installation
Deutzer Brücke, Köln
Brückenmusik #22 / BM 22
July 11, 2016 – July 17, 2016

The musical starting point for Barcarole is the overture of the opera
„Die Rheinnixen“ (1864) by Jacques Offenbach. Offenbach later uses the leitmotif with its swaying movement in 6/8 time again for the „Barcarole“ in the fourth act of his opera „Tales of Hoffmann“.

„The Tales of Hoffmann“ is premiered in 1881, one year after Offenbach’s death. A final score authorised by Offenbach does not exist for this work; numerous manuscript pages with variants exist. It remains unclear how far Offenbach’s composition had progressed before his death. Offenbach had mostly only sketched out the vocal part and the piano part.

Fragments of Offenbach’s barcarola music sound from a series of pressure-chamber loudspeakers and, in interaction with the local echo in the belly of the Deutz Bridge, form a swaying and flowing back and forth movement transverse to the water of the Rhine. Pressure chamber loudspeakers are mainly used on ships and in public transport. The acoustic movement is accompanied by an optical one. Along the bridge walls, light defines another rhythm and illuminates the way for visitors.

Brückenmusik #22