A Different Kind of Love Story

In 2015, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra invited Christian Eriksen and Janove Ottesen to take part in a unique collaboration. They were challenged to write a 70-minute symphonic silent performance. 

 “No one has ever done what we are now in the process of bringing to life,” said Gaute Aadnesen of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, who came up with the idea for the collaboration and the silent performance. 

The Mute is a love story between a woman and a man, told in flashbacks by the two as they grow old. Small glimpses of a life lived together reveal longings, memories, vulnerability, falling in love, and hope. The story is told using the tools of silent film: wordless acting, custom-composed music, refined set design, character-driven costumes, and carefully choreographed body language.  

“Without the precision of words, the audience is invited to fill in the blanks themselves and let their imaginations run wild—into the situation, into the music, and into their own imaginations,” says screenwriter and actor Christian Eriksen. 

DEMANDING WORK

For Janove Ottesen, composing *The Mute* has been the most challenging project he has ever undertaken. Nevertheless, the experienced artist and composer has enjoyed the process. 

“Writing symphonic music that has to capture the right mood—but also the right timing—over the course of 70 minutes is the most demanding thing I’ve ever been involved in. By a wide margin. But it’s been incredibly fun and very educational,” says Ottesen.  

Along with Ottesen, author and actor Christian Eriksen has spent three years working on the completion of *The Mute*. 

“I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of what happens when you remove the most obvious tool of communication—namely, language. The void it creates has to be filled with something. Here, we fill it with music, body language, and set design to convey the story. I also believe that the absence of language challenges the audience to become more active with their own imagination and their own inner images, says Eriksen. 

From the Oslo Opera House and the Bergen International Festival – to Kilden 

As a two-time Hedda Award winner, *The Mute* was originally scheduled to be staged at the Opera House during the 2020 Hedda Days, but the performance was canceled due to the pandemic. 

Solrun Toft Iversen, chair of the Hedda Committee, said at the time,“The Stavanger Symphony Orchestra took a bold step when they invited Janove Ottesen and Christian Eriksen to create this production. I am delighted that they are now taking it a step further with the enormous undertaking of moving the production to the Hedda Days. There are probably many of us who have been hoping for an opportunity to experience this ambitious production, which made such an impression on the audience and the award jury.” 

So now Kilden Kristiansand will have the pleasure of presenting the performance in the region, as The Mute takes the stage alongside the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra on June 16 and 17. 

But first, Janove Ottesen, Christian Eriksen, and the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra will head to Grieghallen to perform *The Mute* during the Bergen International Festival on May 28. 

The work is Ottesen’s very first symphonic masterpiece, a magnificent journey through evocative soundscapes, with Janove’s signature style intact. The listener is drawn from minor-key, Morricone-esque themes, through burlesque carnival music, to dark and dramatic pieces. 

Telling a complete story without words places high demands on other forms of expression: body language, set design, and, not least, the music.  “All of life’s emotions can be expressed through music. That has been my mantra throughout the entire process,” says composer Janove Ottesen. 

Don't miss this spectacular musical at Kilden on June 16–17. Tickets are still available!