Memory Laws
Rachel Jendrzejewski
Mamory Laws is an experimental opera, which explores the life of the Polish pianist, composer and statesman. The piece is a collage of vignettes that loosely trace the chronology of Paderewski’s life, orienting from the perspectives of women, who have intersected with him in various ways, both directly during his life and indirectly across time. Sung and spoken fragments of text (sourced from ‘found’ material such as excerpts from speeches, old letters, diaries, press quotes/clippings, etc.) intricate movement scores, and an immersive visual environment layered with piano, vocal and electronic sound compositions in rock rhythm. On the stage authors evolve an archive of Paderewski’s life and times, and also of their own ongoing attempts to make sense of their place in history and in dreaming forward a world.
