Multimedia presentations — in this case an orchestra enhanced by photography — are not new in the world of classical production. Yet, few are as the collaborative effort that resulted in “Life: A Journey Through Time” being presented Saturday night at the Music Center at Strathmore. National Geographic photographer and author, Frans Lanting, Marin Alsop with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the distinguished composer, Philip Glass comprise the dream team that thrusts into our laps the wonders of our world, coupled with the sounds of human reaction through music.
“As a photographer, I do a lot of contract work with National Geographic
| Onstage |
| Life: A Journey Through Time |
| Where: Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda |
| When: 8 p.m. Saturday |
| Info: $28 to $88; 410-783-8000; bsomusic.org |
and I created a project independently about the history of life on earth,” explained Lanting, who has been hailed as one of the greatest nature photographers of our generation. “My goal was to create a series of images that would give people the feeling that they could still witness the way things were many millions of years ago.”
And so, Lanting approached BSO Music Director, Marin Alsop with the idea that his work could be turned into a musical performance; one, he said, that would allow the eyes of the audience “to be stroked by some wonderful visuals to go along with the music that creates a whole new experience.”
Alsop, a longtime innovator in the world of symphonic music, jumped at the chance to work on a project of this caliber and called upon her friend, composer Philip Glass to write a score to accompany the images. “Marin and I sat down with Philip and he really liked the idea and agreed to produce an orchestral score that is based on the ideas that I presented,” Lanting continued. “Then we worked with a visual choreographer whose job it was to match [how] the sequencing of the [image] dissolves to the rhythm of the music. The result is amazing.
The piece first premiered in 2006 in California and it has been done over 20 times since then with leading orchestras around the world. The collaborators look forward to its presentation this weekend at Strathmore.
“We tend to think of nature and the natural world as existing in the present, but of course it took many millions of years to evolve; and if you look at nature with the perspective of time, everything changes,” Lanting noted. “And that is what makes the performance a miraculous thing to experience.”
