2009 soundtrack album by Sufjan Stevens
The BQE Brooklyn-Queens Expressway bySufjan 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 ofThe 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.
RegardingThe BQE , Stevens said:
I intended to create a non-personal, non-narrative piece. I tried to reduce my own personal investment as much as possible, and I refused to incorporate one of my strengths, which is the song. I was relinquishing my greatest weapon.[ 9]
Justin Peck 's balletIn the Countenance of Kings San Francisco Ballet , is set to music fromThe BQE .[ 10] [ 11]
No. Title Length 1. "Prelude on the Esplanade" 2:56 2. "Introductory Fanfare for the Hooper Heroes" 1:07 3. "Movement I: In the Countenance of Kings" 5:19 4. "Movement II: Sleeping Invader" 4:34 5. "Interlude I: Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation" 3:33 6. "Movement III: Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise" 4:09 7. "Movement IV: Traffic Shock" 3:24 8. "Movement V: Self-Organizing Emergent Patterns" 3:45 9. "Interlude II: Subi Power Waltz" 0:28 10. "Interlude III: Invisible Accidents" 0:54 11. "Movement VI: Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges" 3:17 12. "Movement VII (Finale): The Emperor of Centrifuge" 3:51 13. "Postlude: Critical Mass" 2:59 Total length: 40:16
DVD-only bonus track No. Title Length 14. "The Sleeping Red Wolves[ 12] [ 13] 4:23 Total length: 44:39
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 – mixingLisa 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 – violinSato 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 ^ "Sufjan Stevens All Delighted People" .AllMusic . RetrievedAugust 5, 2016 .^ "Sufjan Stevens: the BQE" .Anydecentmusic.com . AnyDecentMusic?. RetrievedMay 29, 2018 .^ "The BQE by Sufjan Stevens" .Metacritic . RetrievedApril 29, 2019 .^ AllMusic review ,AllMusic ^ "Drowned in Sound review" . Archived fromthe original on October 20, 2009. RetrievedOctober 19, 2009 .^ "Album review: Sufjan Stevens - 'The BQE' .Nme.com . October 16, 2009. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 .^ Greene, Jayson."Sufjan Stevens: The BQE" .Pitchfork.com . RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 . ^ "Music Archives" .Slant Magazine . October 18, 2024. RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 .^ Bell, Sean (October 19, 2009)."Sufjan Stevens: American 21st-century Renaissance man" .Herald Scotland . RetrievedNovember 26, 2009 . ^ "2016 Repertory Season: Program 7: San Francisco Ballet" .www.sfballet.org . Archived fromthe original on 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. ^ "3.5K views · 157 reactions | Sufjan Stevens, "Sleepy Red Wolves" (from the BQE) | "Sleepy Red Wolves," a DVD-exclusive bonus track from Sufjan's BQE. which you can buy here fyi:... | By Asthmatic Kitty Records" .Facebook.com . RetrievedOctober 20, 2024 .^ "Pink Narcissus" .Pinknarcissus4.tumblr.com .^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Billboard 200)" .Billboard ^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Independent Albums)" .Billboard
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