Picasso Symphony brings the art of a master to life through music (TCU Place, Nov. 7th)
by Scott Roos
A groundbreaking multimedia orchestral experience makes its Canadian debut in Saskatoon, with a little hometown connection helping bring the pieces together.
There are plenty of ways to experience the art of Pablo Picasso, but it's not every day that you get to experience it accompanied by a live symphony orchestra. On Saturday, November 7, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra will present Picasso Symphony, an ambitious multimedia production that brings together the visual masterpieces of one of the world's most influential artists with some of the most celebrated orchestral music of the past century. The result promises to be considerably more than a traditional night at the symphony. With Picasso's artwork, photography, film, ceramics and sculpture appearing on a giant screen while the orchestra performs a carefully selected musical soundtrack, the concert transforms the concert hall into an immersive art gallery. And while the production itself has an international pedigree, there's a distinctly Saskatoon connection behind the music.
Saskatoon-born conductor Kevin Zakresky was handpicked to program the musical selections for the production, giving him the opportunity to create a soundtrack that follows Picasso's artistic evolution. For creator and producer Jason Michael Paul, having Zakresky involved was a natural fit.
"Kevin has an amazing pedigree," Paul explained to NSMZ. "This is what he studied and spent his whole life pursuing. And this is just a perfect marriage between the music and, of course, the art with Picasso."
For Paul, the idea behind Picasso Symphony began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having attended one of the travelling Van Gogh immersive exhibitions, he came away feeling that there was an opportunity to approach the concept differently. Rather than simply recreating or drawing inspiration from an artist's work, Paul wanted to create something with an official connection to the artist's legacy. With contacts at the Picasso Succession in Paris, he approached the organization with his idea.
"I just kind of shot for the stars and just went after the most prolific artists in the history of mankind," he said. "And they really loved the idea. They really embraced my spirit and really just kind of gave me full autonomy on what I was creating."
The resulting production takes audiences on a chronological journey through Picasso's life, exploring the many different artistic periods and influences that shaped his work. While many people recognize Picasso through a handful of iconic paintings, Paul hopes the production will offer a much broader understanding of the artist and his contributions to modern art.
"A lot of people don't know that he was the co-founder of Cubism. A lot of people don't know that he was on the forefront of surrealism," Paul told NSMZ, noting that the concert also explores Picasso's interest in African, Japanese and Asian cultures, as well as neoclassicism.
The musical selections reflect the historical period and artistic relationships surrounding Picasso. The program features works by composers including Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten, Manuel de Falla, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Erik Satie, Sergei Prokofiev and Gustav Holst.
One particularly fascinating connection is Picasso's lifelong friendship with Stravinsky. Their relationship began in 1917 when the two worked together on Pulcinella in Rome, with Picasso responsible for the set design and costumes while Stravinsky provided the music.
Both men were born in 1881 and lived remarkably parallel lives, with Picasso passing away in 1973 and Stravinsky in 1971. The production explores that relationship through an especially unique segment featuring an original letter Stravinsky wrote to Picasso. Paul describes how Stravinsky turned the letter into a short musical piece, which has been recreated for the performance.
"We've done an amazing job of reanimating that original letter and performing it in perfect sync with the clarinetists," said Paul.
The Picasso Symphony is an ambitious undertaking that reflects Paul's extensive background in multimedia orchestral productions. His career began working with Luciano Pavarotti and the Three Tenors before moving into the world of video game music, where he helped introduce large-scale orchestral performances of music from Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda. Over the years, he has produced hundreds of performances numerous other international productions of video game music and beyond. With Picasso Symphony, Paul wanted to make the experience of encountering Picasso's work accessible to audiences who might never have the opportunity to travel to the world's major art museums.
"Not everyone has the luxury of traveling the world like I have and going to see actual Picasso's," he says. "One of the ideas that I had when I originally conceptualized this project was I wanted to be able to get people a glimpse into the world of Picasso."
For Saskatoon audiences, there's an additional reason to be excited. The city already has a special relationship with Picasso through the collection of his linocuts housed at Remai Modern, courtesy of the Frank and Ellen Remai Foundation.
An exhibition connected to the production's Stravinsky segment has also been featured locally, showcasing imagery associated with the original letter and its musical interpretation. The material will be moved to the TCU Place galleries for concert day.
With the Canadian debut of Picasso Symphony, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra is offering audiences an opportunity to experience two artistic worlds in conversation. It's a celebration of music, visual art, history and the creative relationships that helped shape modern culture, all brought together through the work of an artist whose influence continues to resonate more than half a century after his death. For anyone who has ever wanted to see Picasso's artistic journey unfold in an entirely different way, this promises to be a memorable evening.
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