World premiere by Alexandros Markéas | Symphony of the 7th continent

DCS- CREATION MONDIALE MARKEAS 7EME CONTINENT

Aix-Marseille University has commissioned the composer Alexandros Markéas to create a work on the theme of the "7th continent", a zone where the sea is saturated by plastic debris. For this world premiere, on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July 2022 at the Parc Borely in Marseille, some 200 young artists and staff from Aix-Marseille University will be brought together: 91 orchestral musicians - 80 singers - 20 dancers from the OSAMU, EV'AMU and DANSE'AMU artistic ensembles

Symphony of the 7th continent
Work in 7 parts and 3 interludes. Duration 1h10

The Seventh Continent is the name given to this immense concentration of plastic waste in the northern Pacific Ocean, a vortex of detritus that symbolizes our contradictions, our chaotic paths, our excessive growth and our defective concepts.

This work tries to tell this strange story, with sounds and songs mixed with the friction and crackling of plastic, with the artificial noises of the world.
It is presented as a musical journey that follows the movement of the ocean currents before arriving at this new sad and frightening continent.

This journey is inspired by the music of other continents and tells of our ambivalent relationship with nature. It alternates moments of meditative contemplation, sequences of ritual celebration or desperate complaints.

Gradually, the performers are transformed into a monstrous vortex in which cries of anguish and motives of hope confront and collide.

Practical information

Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July 2022 | 21h00 | Parc Borely in Marseille
Reservation required on registration - Registration opens in 2022.

About Alexandros MARKEAS

Composer and pianist of Greek origin, Alexandros Markeas is interested in the languages of traditional music and favours encounters with improvising musicians from different cultures.
He is also inspired by different fields of artistic expression, such as architecture, theatre and the plastic arts, to seek alternatives to the traditional concert and to create particular musical listening situations. His pieces are marked by a theatrical spirit and by the use of multimedia techniques.