Et in bergamo ego (2017)

Et in Bergamo ego (“and in Bergamo, I am”) is a commedia dell'arte ballet for five cellos. Taking its name from the famed painting by Nicolas Poussin, the single-movement work explores the emotions of love and suffering through the narrative of a commedia dell'arte play. As the drama progresses, the lines between reality and performance eventually become blurred and uncontrollable as improvisatory gestures come to the foreground. Eventually, themes of fate and destruction overwhelm the ballet, and tragedy emerges. In its final stage, a Cadenza "l'apocalisse" ushers in such dramatic and sorrowful intensity that the characters, and scenario itself, become violently consumed by their inevitable deaths.

Commissioned and Performed by SAKURA Cello Quintet at the Sunset ChamberFest June 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, CA.

Contact us for score and parts here. To inquire about a reorchestration of the work for orchestra or alternate ensemble, please fill out the contact form here.

June 1, 2019 | LA Phil’s Noon to Midnight Festival, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA. The Sakura Cello Quintet.

June 17, 2017 | Sunset ChamberFest, Hollywood, CA The Sakura Cello Quintet.