PROJECT Info
Photography by Elina Akselrud, Design by Nathanaël Bez
Premiered: April 1, 2016
CHOPIN:
A LETTER THROUGH THE PARISIAN YEARS
Elina Akselrud
is a research/performance piece about the Paris years of the composer Frédéric Chopin. This unique event combines at least three art genres: the solo piano performance of Chopin’s music, theatrical readings of his letters and poems by Polish poets of his time, and photographs / short video clips of his Parisian life including his pianos, manuscripts, personal belongings, portraits, routes, and more. I am very lucky to be collaborating with a truly incredible team, which includes Nathanaël Bez, the actor, Eduard Akselrud, the media director, and Dilectiss Liu, the philosophy advisor.
I dedicated 1.5 years of my life to preparation of this project before the premiere, encompassing its piano repertoire, visuals, and script writing. The highlight idea of the work: human being, an artist, needs to create in order to live; and Chopin was one of the best examples of this lifestyle. Each time a new creation is made, it leaves the creator and inhabits the souls of others. Thereafter it lives in the hearts of the audiences, ever-growing and ever-inspiring. No matter, how hard the obstacles, one MUST create and, therefore, bloom eternally. And thus, the creation of an artwork is the most beautiful occurrence in the Universe, making it better with each moment. The two other very important factors we want to emphasize in our work is Chopin’s complex personality that is not always perceived by the performers or the audience; and the remembrance of the past and its spirit by humanity, which is a crucial subject for the people of the 21st Century.
The Grand Salon at the Foundation of the United States (Paris, France) where “Chopin: A letter through the Parisian Years” was premiered on April 1, 2016
This work was developed, finished, and successfully premiered at the Grand Salon of the Foundation of the United States in Paris (read the review by Frédéric Sausse, CIUP). We are incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to perform in this wonderful venue, as well as in Lucerne and Zurich, Switzerland, and Munich, Germany!
The Official Release of the cinematic version of the project occurred on May 15, 2018 at Hôtel Chopin Grands-Boulevards in Paris, France. I am very grateful to the Intertwining Arts team, all the organizations who helped us, all the friends and our supporters. It has been beautiful and hard-working 3.5 years from the start till the release of the Film. The project is now officially closed.
Elina Akselrud