OVERVIEW
CSI: Beethoven©
CSI: Beethoven©, a turn-key symphonic stage show in two-acts, written and directed by Didi Balle, investigates and solves the dual mysteries of Ludwig van Beethoven’s early deafness and death at the age of 56. The two-hour program (includes a 20-min. Intermission) artfully blends excerpts from each of Beethoven’s nine symphonies with live theatre, forensic science, medical inquiry, and visual images. This suspenseful and entertaining musical investigation examines forensic and medical evidence in search of diagnosis: Was Beethoven's deafness caused by childhood trauma? Otosclerosis? Typhus? Paget's Disease? Or something else? What factors contributed to his death? Kidney Disease? Syphilis? Cirrhosis? Or was his death the result of lead poisoning at the hands of his own doctors? CSI: Beethoven© probes evidence from post-mortem findings of the original 1827 autopsy to discoveries by scientists at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. DNA-tested strands of Beethoven's hair and skull fragments offer relevant clues. The CSI: Beethoven© Team comprised of your orchestra’s conductor, and professional actors portraying Beethoven, a forensic scientist and a medical doctor unearth clues that astound audiences while deepening their appreciation of Beethoven’s life and music. At the opening of the concert, an impatient Beethoven appears on stage, having traveled from the spirit world to determine why he died, and lost his hearing. “And here it is,” he rails at the Conductor, “183 years later, and you still haven’t figured it out! If I can achieve immortality in a mere 56 years, surely someone in this tech-savvy 21st century of yours, can find out why I died and lost my most precious sense!” The gauntlet is thrown; the Conductor, Orchestra, and CSI: Beethoven© Team are off to a running start. |