Bach’s »Kunst der Fuge« (»Art of the Fugue«) is considered one of the most mysterious and complex works of musical history. This gigantic body, that with the »Goldberg Variation« and the »Musikalischen Opfer« (»Musical Sacrifice«) belongs to the great later cycles, presents an oddly constructed all-embracing oeuvre consisting of all forms of fugues. The »Kunst der Fuge« (»Art of the Fugue«) was Bach’s last composition (1747-49), it remained uncompleted and unadapted for instruments. Its structure remains enigmatic even today.

In Parts, several choreographic transpositions of the »Kunst der Fuge« (»Art of the Fugue«) already exist. Lina do Carmo however created the first scenic version of the complete oeuvre. »Fuga« (Latin: escape) signifies to her the eternal continuation of life, of essence, the flow of existence. A silent monologue unfolds into numerous pictures, a fragmentary relationship between humans and divinity, a pictorial liturgy on the far side of verbal meaning which, when translated, narrates the untranslatable.

Lina do Carmo is regarded as Brazil’s most important female representative of the visual body theatre that blends body and soul – Brazilian »soul« and European »spirit«. After completion of her acting and dance training in Brazil and the United States, Lina do Carmo studied pantomime in Paris from 1983-86 under Marcel Marceau and became his assistant.

A successful theatre and television career followed her 1988 emigration to Europe. Up till now, five full-evening solos were sired in Germany, those were shown in numerous German cities as well as abroad. Four of those creation, among them »Victoria Regia« (1990) and »Capivara« (1997) are based on motives from nature and Brazilian myths. Only in »Fugitus« turned the dancer towards a very German topic.

Pi-hsien Chen was born in Taiwan and moved to Köln at the age of nine. She received the first price at the ARD’s International Music Competition in München. Through her subsequent concert work she became well known in Europe’s big concert halls. She played with such important orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Pi-hsien Chen is professor for piano at the Musikhochschule Köln (college for music since) 1983.