Bestiarium

For hundreds of years, the famous collection of the inventor Dr. Dr. Grolimund has been kept in the cellar of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of the Cultures of the World) in Berlin. The most precious object in the collection is an ancient, peculiar piano, the only one of its kind. Unfortunately it no longer makes any sound as it has been broken for a long time…. or perhaps its just that no one remembers anymore how it can be played. When the audience, on a guided tour with an employee of the HKW, enter the room to see this extraordinary piano, curious noises suddenly emerge from the inside. The instrument begins to speak and gives the children a special task….

So begins Bestiarium, a production by DieOrdnungDerDinge and the composer Nuria Nuñez Hierro. Bestiarium combines music theatre, concert and sound installation in an experimental way, lasts about an hour and is suitable for children (from around six years old and above) and adults alike.
Young and old undertake together with the musicians an adventure through the oldest and long forgotten departments of the HKW. Since time immemorial, even after Dr. Dr. Grolimund passed away, they have tirelessly carried on with their research and experiments here. Here the audience encounter the fantastical creatures that dwell in these departments.
In order to find out how the ancient, peculiar piano can be played, the children must ask the help of the creatures and collect secret knowledge from the different departments. Only children, designated experts in fantasy, are able to solve this mystery. This is only possible by playing enchanted music. With the help of the curious creatures that inhabit these rooms, the children learn this magical music, perform together the enchanted final concert and thus release the ancient piano from silence, setting free its unique and wonderful sounds.
Inspiration for these characters is taken from sources such as creatures described by the Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges, the Aberdeen Bestiarium from the 12th Century, books by Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and Lewis Carroll.
The structure of the performance is governed by the interaction between the performer conducting the guided tour, the audience and the fantastical creatures that inhabit the departments. Each mythical creature is embodied by an audio-visual room and an interactive music theatre station. In each room the children meet a different mythical creature that helps them to learn the enchanted music. The audience share the stage with the musicians and go together side by side through the adventure. They can watch and listen but at each station they must fulfill a musical task. When this is completed the creatures show them the way to the next department. At the end of this musical treasure hunt is the grand finale: the enchanted concert.