Romanian violinist holds one-hour recital in complete darkness at fortified church in Transylvania

A special event called Concert with the eyes wide shut (Concert cu ochii larg inchisi) will take place on June 22 at the fortified church in Cincșor, a village in Brasov county, in the famous region of Transylvania.

The event’s concept, proposed by visual artist Cristina Bobe, consists of a 60-minute solo recital of Romanian violinist Valentin Șerban in complete darkness. The repertoire will include some of the most complex works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Fritz Kreisler, Niccolò Paganini, George Enescu and Eugène Ysaÿe. The concert will be followed by a discussion between artists and the public on personal experiences of interaction with music in the dark.

The organizers say that such a performance in complete darkness, which removes the visual stimuli, “encourages the audience to focus their attention on the sound and to free the imagination, all in a completely relaxed environment, protected from the pressure of social labels.” It is also a unique way to put the spotlight on the classical music.

Concert cu ochii larg inchisi started in Bucharest, at Artera, and travels to various alternative spaces across Romania during the summer, such as the Căpâlnaș Psychiatric Hospital, the Pompadou Center (Petrila), the Made in Rosia Montana workshop, the fortified church in Cincșor, the barn of a household in the village of Şomartin and the headquarters of the Minimorum Association, a mansion in the Haţeg Land, and so on.

At Cincşor, the concert is organized within the Dinner in nature (Cina in natura) event, and starts at 22:00. Entry costs RON 10. More details are available here.

(Photo source: the organizers)