Credit: tom mesic
Presented by Linz AG
Moby Dick
Hunted Right up to the Riverbanks of Linz
Loosely based on Herman Melville’s novel
Linz Becomes a Seaport
The fateful voyage of the Pequod, the whaling ship whose Captain Ahab was driven by blind hate to hunt down a white sperm whale, will be performed in a theatrical form that conveys all of the work’s drama and philosophy. The proximity to water and the far-fetched possibility that Moby Dick could have wended his way upriver as far as Linz impart a very special appeal to this production with a local hook. The events played out on the water will be duplicated on land in terms of a performance and visuals that make them comprehensible to the huge audience assembled here. Modern dance and the acrobatic moves by trained gymnasts are the means of expression for a cast of about 100 performers. Before the eyes of Klangwolke spectators, Ahab’s madness manifests itself in a climactic confrontation with his arch enemy, Moby Dick. This production takes spectators on a journey overseas and back to Linz again.
Music and Narrator
This performance is musically based on Ahab!, an orchestral work by American composer Stephen Melillo. Written for an orchestra of wind instruments and a narrator, this piece powerfully underscores the unbending will of a man struggling against God and the whale. Playing Ahab and narrating as well is none other than Christian Brückner, a Grimme Award winner and the voice of Robert De Niro in German versions of the American actor’s films.
“Melville’s text has preoccupied me at least half my life. Recreating it in this extraordinary setting is a fantastic assignment.”
The Fireworks
This year’s fireworks are a substantive element of the production, a means of expression employed intentionally to create powerful imagery. Pyrotechnic effects intensify several of the scenes, culminating in the finale of a shipwreck accompanied by violent explosions.
After-party
Immediately following the 2017 Sparkasse OÖ Klangwolke, Linz AG cordially invites visitors to keep the extravaganza going in Sandburg and the Donaupark. Providing the music at the Linz AG Nachklangwolke is Eugene the Cat.
Credits
Design: Helix Event Inszenierungen
Director, choreographer: Christine Maria Krenn
Producer: Roland Krenn
Technical director: Helmut Scheiber
Sponsors: Sparkasse OÖ, Linz AG, Wiener Städtische Versicherung, Lentia City, VICOM, Austrian Federal Chancellery, Design Center Linz, The City of Linz, ORF—Austria Broadcasting Company—Upper Austria regional studio, OÖ Nachrichten, Kronen Zeitung OÖ, LIVA, Brucknerhaus Linz
