The BQE (soundtrack) explained
The BQE is a mixed-medium artistic exploration of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway by Sufjan Stevens. The project originally manifested in the form of a live show, performed on November 1–3, 2007. The show consisted of an original film, directed and written by Stevens, accompanied by an orchestra performing a live soundtrack.
The album recording was made after the rehearsals for the show. It was recorded live during a one-day session in Legacy Studios' A509 orchestral suite (since closed and demolished) with most of the group in the same large room together.
A multimedia package of The BQE was released on October 20, 2009. The set consists of a CD of the show's soundtrack, a DVD of Brooklyn-Queen Expressway footage that accompanied the original performance (not a film of the performance itself), a 40-page booklet with liner notes and photos, and a stereoscopic 3D View-Master reel. There is also a limited edition version that features the soundtrack on 180-gram vinyl and a 40-page BQE-themed comic book starring the show's hula-hooping wonder women, The Hooper Heroes.
Regarding The BQE, Stevens said:
Ballet
Justin Peck's ballet In the Countenance of Kings, made for the San Francisco Ballet, is set to music from The BQE.[2] [3]
Personnel
Production
- Alejandro Venguer, assisted by Jeff Kirby and Tyler Van Dalen – recording, legacy studios, New York City
- Casey Foubert, James McAlister, and Sufjan Stevens – additional recording, Sufjan's office in Brooklyn
- Sufjan Stevens – mixing
- Lisa Moran – production management
- Michael Atkinson – music editing, copyist
Performing artists
- Tim Albright – trombone
- Hideaki Aomori – clarinet
- Mat Fieldes – upright bass
- Casey Foubert – electric guitar
- Josh Frank – trumpet
- Alan Hampton – upright bass
- Marla Hansen – viola, vocals
- Jay Hassler – bass clarinet, clarinet
- Maria Bella Jeffers – cello
- Ben Lanz – trombone
- Olivier Manchon – violin
- Rob Moose – violin
- Sato Moughalian – flute, piccolo
- Damian Primis – bassoon
- Theo Primis – French horn
- Joey Redhage – cello
- Kyle Resnick – trumpet
- Yuuki Matthews – bass, beats
- Beth Meyers – viola
- James McAlister – drums, percussion, drum programming, sequencing, synthesizers, sound effects, etc.
- Matt Moran – drums, percussion
- Arthur Sato – oboe
- Alex Sopp – flute, alto flute, piccolo
- Hiroko Taguchi – violin
- Amie Weiss – violin
- Sufjan Stevens – "everything else"
- Michael Atkinson – conductor
BQE Film
- Anastasia-Dyan Pridlides – botanica
- Elaine Tian – quantus
- Lindsay Brickel – electress
- Sufjan Stevens – direction, cinematography, editing
- Reuben Kleiner – cinematography, editing
- Malcolm Hearn – editing
- Bryant Fisher and Blink Digital – post-production
Packaging
- Denny Renshaw – photography
- Anastasia-Dyan Pridlides – botanica
- Elaine Tian – quantus
- Lindsay Brickel – electress
- Stephen Halker – bailey
- Virginia Bradley Linzee – makeup
- Belinda Martin – wardrobe
- Caroline McAlister – costume design, costumes
- Sufjan Stevens – photography, layout, design, illustrations
"Hooper Heroes" Comic Book/Stereoscopic Reel
- Sufjan Stevens – story, writing
- Stephen Halker – story, penciling, inking, lettering, coloring
- Heidi Cho – coloring
- David Min – coloring
- Matt Loux – cover watercolour
- Christian Ackler – cover masthead
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Sufjan Stevens All Delighted People . . August 5, 2016.
- Web site: 2016 Repertory Season: Program 7: San Francisco Ballet . www.sfballet.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095807/https://www.sfballet.org/tickets/production/overview/program-7-2016 . March 4, 2016.
- "Justin Peck world premiere rounds out SF Ballet Program 7" by Leslie Katz, San Francisco Examiner. April 11, 2016. Accessed April 13, 2016.
