Work of the Week – Elisabeth Naske: Lollo

Interrupting the performance? Yes please! The interactive musical theatre work Lollo by Elisabeth Naske celebrates its premiere on 02 June 2023 at the Dschungel Wien in a production by Ela Baumann featuring Florian Fennes on solo clarinet and vocalist Marie-Christiane Nishimwe. 

Lollo is divided into three major sections: the instrument-building phase, the concert showcase, and the free continuation of the story by the audience. The beginning of the work presents itself in a workshop form where everyone creates and builds their own instruments together. This section ends with a presentation of the newly made instruments and an introduction to collectively making music. In the second part, the audience supports the story as an orchestra at given points within the piece. By the end of the performance the audience can then develop the musical story independently.

Audience as orchestra in Lollo by Elisabeth Naske

Lollo is about the discarded doll derived from the children’s book, Lollo, by author Mira Lobe. The doll refuses to be useless junk and therefore builds a home out of boxes with the help of other discarded toys. The work deals with the problem of the throw-away society in an unconventional and non-moralising way.

My music results from the desire to do justice to the story I am setting to music. I trace the characters, the frame, the moods shaping the story and develop an appropriate musical expression. (Elisabeth Naske)

In addition to the premiere, Lollo  will receive additional performances in Vienna on 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 June 2023.

Links:

Elisabeth Naske: Composer Profile

Lollo: Work Details and Online Score

Website Dschungel Wien

Foto: world premiere during Berentzer Festspiele 2015