Severin Dornier’s A Day in the Mountain was inspired by Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), composed by Richard Strauss a little over a century ago. In Dornier’s musical play, the romantic ideals of nature and music typical of the 19th century clash with a dystopian vision of a future thrown into turmoil by a series of disasters caused by humanity’s over-exploitation of the planet. The story goes that in 2079, a group of glaciologists trying in vain to save the last shreds of the Aletsch Glacier – Europe’s largest – come across musical artefacts from ancient times trapped in the ice. Their exploration, set to music, takes them back to the mystical past of the lost ice giant.
This piece showcases Dornier’s ability to interweave historical archives and dramatic fiction, blend art and music from times past with present-day experimental sound art and visual performance, and combine Alpine reverie and symbolism with the scientific realities of the modern world.

Severin Dornier (b. 1993, Munich) holds a degree in composition from the University of Music and Theatre Munich (HMTM). He studied acoustic composition at the Boulogne-Billancourt Regional Conservatory (CRR) in Paris and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. He lives in Bern and began studying at Bern University of the Arts in 2021. He is the recipient of several awards, including the 2017 Alain Louvier Prize.

Full information and booking details for this event will be available in September on the Jan Michalski Foundation online agenda.

This project was made possible thanks to the commitment of the Jan Michalski Foundation for writing and literature.