Gauguin (a synthetic life)

score by Michael Smetanin
text by Alison Croggon
Instrumentation - fl.,ob., cl., 2 saxes., tpt., trb., elec. guit., 2 percs., hp., 2 pfs., cb., 4 drummers
Gauguin (A Synthetic Life) is based on the life and artistic stuggle of French artist Paul Gauguin. In the painter's relentless quest for sensualism and unfettered expression, Gauguin's unique art mirrors the development of his own controversial life. Gauguin's early works show a clear allegiance to French Impressionism, but he later developed a style he called 'synthetism'.
Michael Smetanin's striking minimalist expressionistic score relentlessly propels Alison Croggon's tale of frustrated ambition to its inevitable conclusion.
"...spectacular theatre that clarifies many of its most lasting impressions long after the performance is over..." Sydney Morning Herald
"...a sophisticated technical gambit that leaves even the digital imagery of rock concerts for dead..." The Canberra Times
World Premiere Fairfax Studio Victorian Arts Centre, November 2000, for the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts. Directed by Douglas Horton, musical direction by Roland Peelman, design by Trina Parker, lighting design by David Murray, digital animation by Blackbean.