Samuel Beckett : Words and Music

Music by Morton Feldman

Directed by Everett Frost

Barry McGovern – Words (Joe)
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Stephen Brennan – Croak

Beckett Series Ensemble – Music (Bob):
Finnegan Downie Dear – conductor
Sarah Sew – violin
Lisanne Melchior – viola
Aoife Nic Athlaoich – cello
Fiona Kelly – flute
Miriam Kaczor – flute
Jonathan Morris – piano
Brian Dungan – percussion

Running Time : 75 mins including an interval

A selection of short solo and chamber works precede the main work: ​

Morton Feldman
Vertical Thoughts 2 for violin and piano

Edgard Varèse
Density 21.5 for solo flute*

Morton Feldman
Projection 1 for solo cello

Morton Feldman
Four Instruments (1975)

Tickets €25|€22 student/OAP/unwaged concession | €50 for all 3 Beckett series events/€45 concession

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A rare concert performance of Samuel Beckett’s radio play Words and Music with American composer, Morton Feldman’s score. Renowned Beckett actors Barry McGovern and Stephen Brennan play the spoken roles of Words/Joe and Croak with a conducted ensemble of Beckett Chamber Music Series musicians playing the role of Music/Bob.

Throughout the play, Croak invokes Words and Music to perform for him on the subjects of “Love”, “Age” and “The Face”, either separately or together in a kind of contest of aesthetics. When discussing the play with academic, Katherine Worth, Beckett made the, perhaps surprising, comment, “Music always wins”.

The performance is directed by Everett Frost, who produced and directed the award-winning American national broadcast premieres of Beckett’s five completed radio plays.