A portable concert space that the architect Zaha Hadid designed as the perfect venue for Bach recitals is set to hold performances by Middle Eastern poets and musicians in Abu Dhabi. The acoustic installation seated an audience of 200 when it premiered at the Manchester International Festival (MIF) in July. It will appear at the Holland Festival next year, then be shipped to the UAE in 2011 for the Abu Dhabi Festival, coordinated by the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (Admaf). Organisers of the three international events co-commissioned the structure at a cost of around Dh1.5 million and each plan to stage performances that are unique to their nation's culture.
"The violinist Alina Ibragimova said that when she performed there she felt like she was in a cocoon and that she was so safe there that she would never make any mistakes," said Alex Poots, the director of MIF, in Abu Dhabi this week. "It gave her such reassurance that she gave these amazing performances and was fearless in the structure." For three weeks this summer, visitors to MIF were treated to solo recitals of Bach in the structure at the Manchester Art Gallery. But with the partnership with Abu Dhabi already established, the space also became host to an international storytelling partnership, the Hakawati. In a workshop aimed at primary-school children between 8 and 11, performers addressed audiences in English and Arabic. The programme, which includes sessions by well-known Arab orators, will continue in The Netherlands and Abu Dhabi.
In keeping with the renowned Iraqi-born architect's previous works, such as the Vitra fire station and Strasbourg tram station, the acoustic installation has a distinctly organic feel. Resembling a sea shell or a silk cocoon, it is comprised of white acrylic panels held together by a steel frame. Some have compared it to a white ribbon, held in suspended animation above the audience. As well as defining the stage and seating area, the ribbon-like panels are designed to enhance the acoustic experience of the concert by reflecting sound towards the audience. The design team used 3D computer-generated models to determine the optimal reverberation distances - too far makes the notes sound blurred, while too short gives an undesirable dryness.
As well as providing a near-perfect acoustic environment for recitals, the architects claim that the installation was inspired by the German composer's music. "Bach's sublime works for solo keyboard and for unaccompanied cello and violin are the very model of his experiments with spatial quality, his extension of musical landscapes in the pursuit of visionary aesthetic," the promotional literature says.
Hoda Kanoo, the founder of Admaf, visited MIF in July for the Bach performances. "The structure has quite an amazing intimacy," she said. "You feel warm and you feel close to the musician, but also with a certain privacy that allows you to enjoy the music. "Arabic traditional music can be based on just one instrument. Can you imagine the oud in the hands of one of our masters in this environment? This is an intimacy that you would never feel in a big hall."
Kanoo met with representatives from MIF and Manchester City Council this week at Emirates Palace to sign an agreement of understanding to not just share the structure but also to work together on future projects. "We were delighted when Admaf had the idea that there could be recitals and storytellings and poetry readings," said Poots. "It would fit very well within their festival and cultural heritage, and it provides a platform for that. Although it has a singular purpose, it's quite a versatile structure."
The biannual MIF began in 2007 and commissions only original new works. This year's event included Prima Donna, Rufus Wainwright's debut opera, and It Felt Like A Kiss, a multimedia production by the documentarian Adam Curtis. The festival takes place over three weeks in Manchester, and, according to Poots, the length of the event played a direct role in the decision to create a space for Bach's music.
"It's quite a selfish thing, but my favorite composer is Bach and his solo works fall into three groups: violin, piano and cello. MIF also runs over three weeks," he said, "so for us to have a kind of chamber music series at the core of our festival was very important." During the signing at Emirates Palace, Poots recalled Admaf's visit to this year's festival, led by Kanoo. "I noticed that you arrived two days earlier than expected and I was a little alarmed that we had sent you the wrong dates," he told her. "Then I realised you had actually arrived to see Kraftwerk with Steve Reich, which touched me greatly that you were open to so many other aspects of the festival."
The Abu Dhabi Festival is an ongoing programme of fine art and classical music productions. Although residents of the capital will have to wait two years before they can experience performances in the Zaha Hadid structure, its future beyond the Abu Dhabi Festival is becoming apparent. "The co-commissioning places are its three homes, one after another," said Poots. "But we have already found that after the Abu Dhabi Festival, there are a number of potential hosts around the world who would like to present this. Now that we have the agreement signed we can discuss this among ourselves and decide where it would be good for it to go next, before it's purchased by a permanent collector."