Terri Hanlon

The Vanishing Tower is a piece inspired by the life of Antonin Carême. Carême created a cultural environment which the diplomat Talleyrand used with laser precision to determine the course of post-Napoleonic France, in much the same way that AndrŽ Soltner of Lutece set the scene for numerous important negotiations in the 20th century. Performer, events producer and home pastry chef Eric Barsness will play the role of Carême. Jaques Bekaert, a diplomat, political journalist, wine connoisseur, and composer will play the role of Talleyrand. Carol Clements, choreographer and perfomer, becomes the first woman granted a pension by the British government "for services rendered to the cause of letters."

Expelled by his family at age 11 onto the streets of Paris, Carême was left to fend for himself. He became a cook's apprentice. Filled with energy and raw talent, he developed his intellect by spending all of his spare time at the National Library, studying and copying architectural drawings which would become the inspiration for his work. At 16, he became an apprentice to Bailly of the Rue Vivienne, one of the best pastry cooks in Paris. There the young man's talents were noticed by Talleyrand, who offered him a position.

He became the head chef to Talleyrand, creating never before seen architectonic culinary sculptures and dinners through which he became the power behind the politics of post-Napoleonic France. The man invented modern power-dining, a career device so popular in our times.

A series of scenes potraying and amplifying events in Carême's world will be shot on location in France, and then combined with computer graphics, a voice over commentary and an original sound score by electronic music composer Laetitia Sonami. Sonami's unique score will utilize a 19th century opera glove (a cybersonic electronic instrument which she designed and built). Sonami will use the glove to create portions of the sound score in real time as she dines with Talleyrand and wanders in and out of the scenario.

The narrative structure is a launching pad for a series of visual and aural investigations inspired by historical information. Time is my palette. Early 21st-Century images and personalities bounce and refract off those of the past.

For more information:

web site Latitia Sonami: www.otherminds.org/html/Sonami.html