The echoes of fate

Moor Mother [*1976]
Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes, for spoken voice, string quintet, and symphony orchestra (arranged by Ian Anderson)

Pjotr Tschaikowski [1840-1893]
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 ‘Pathétique’ (known in German as the ‘Symphony of Fate’)

When the activist, poet, and musician Moor Mother released her album Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes in 2019, she broke new ground with an avant-garde work that combined hip-hop, punk rock, dissonance, and noise music like never before, addressing themes of racism, oppression, and social injustice with both artistry and urgency. The auditory journey ranged from reflections on human existence to the titular exploration of the universe.

In 2022, this experimental album was adapted into an orchestral arrangement for the classical concert stage by the string quintet Wooden Elephant. At the Komische Oper Berlin, that adaptation is being juxtaposed against one of the most iconic works of Romantic music: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Through Tchaikovsky, Moor Mother’s social critique expands into the individual’s personal struggle against the relentless force of fate. A concert of profound human insight and cosmic scale awaits!