Attempts to Swallow The Moon (2024)
I. Assembly (scroll)
II. Cycle of First Attempts
III. Noble Rot
IV. Another Final Leap
V. Gravity’s Grip (descent)
The piece is written and composed by Alexander Brix Tillegreen and commissioned by Ensemble K!ART with support from KODA KULTUR.
The world-premiere at VÆKST Festival 2024 was performed by Mikkel Schou on pedal steel guitar, floorboards and electronics, Rob Durnin on piano and floorboards, Manca Dornik on accordion and voice, and Alexander Brix Tillegreen on electronics.
An old folklore says that lunar eclipses are caused by a frog swallowing the moon. In many cultures, the frog appears as a symbolic creature, either as an ominous sign or a bringer of good luck. It plays a central role in Old Testament plagues, witches' black magic, and alchemical processes. The frog’s life cycle is a process of transformation, allowing it to develop from an egg, to a tadpole, to a creature that can live both in water and on land. Its transformative qualities are at the heart of many folktales, where the message of inner beauty is realized when the frog turns into a human being. Through five movements and stages, the piece revolves around the potentials of attempts and transformation. Attempts To Swallow The Moon is written for accordion, recitation, pedal steel guitar, piano, electronics, and quadraphonic loudspeaker setup. Attempts To Swallow The Moon depicts yearning leaps toward the moon – a striving for the impossible, where the attempt to transcend oneself and one's body, both as an individual and as a civilization, is marked by equal parts doubt and insecurity, courage and ambition, in both frantic ascents and descending falls.
5 min. compilation video
Film by Christian Brems. Sound recording, mix, and mastering by Kristian Alexander Pedersen
Full concert video
Film by Christian Brems. Sound recording, mix, and mastering by Kristian Alexander Pedersen