D’Est en musique
Chantal Akerman, Sonia Wieder-Atherton, Sarah Rothenberg
Schedule
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
New York Premiere
Opening Night Reception following the performance
Duration: 80 minutes
In her 1993 semi-fictional travelogue D’Est, the Belgian auteur Chantal Akerman captured the changing face of a collapsing Soviet Union in wordless images of remarkable potency. In 2005, she re-edited the film as part of a musical collaboration with her partner, the renowned cellist, Sonia Wieder-Atherton.
Twenty years later and on the other side of Akerman’s death, D’Est takes on poignant new dimensions of loss and memory as Wieder-Atherton performs her richly curated score alongside award-winning pianist, Sarah Rothenberg. Part of a complete MoMA retrospective of Akerman’s work, this singular evening pairs the film with masterworks by, among others, Bartók, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel.
Presented in collaboration with MoMA
Enjoy the best of Crossing The Line at L’Alliance New York! Purchasing a Festival Pass will give you access to all five Crossing The Line programs taking place at L’Alliance New York—at 30% off the list price!
Venue
Event Pricing
Member Price: $35
Non-Member Price: $45
Under 28 Price: $25
Part of Crossing The Line Festival Pass:
Members: $95
Non-Members: $120
SOLD OUT!
Sonia Wieder-Atherton
Sonia Wieder-Atherton collaborates with many contemporary composers. She has conceived and directed a number of projects including Shakespeare Bach with Charlotte Rampling and Cadenza, or the dreams of Luigi Boccherini with works by Michael Riesman, Eric Dolphy, and György Kurtag. She regularly plays in venues such as Philharmonie de Paris, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Megaron in Athenes, and the Armory in New York.
Her many recordings bear witness to her career. Her last release is the 6 cello solo suites for the label Alpha Classic.
Sarah Rothenberg
Sarah Rothenberg has a unique career as pianist, writer, producer, and creator. A pianist of “power and introspection” (The New York Times), she has performed at the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), Great Performers at Lincoln Center (New York), the Barbican Centre (London), the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels), the Gilmore Piano Festival, 92nd Street Y, the Baryshnikov Arts Center, the Library of Congress, the Van Cliburn Foundation, the Getty Museum, the Ojai Festival, and concert series across the United States.
Billing Credits
Concept: Chantal Akerman and Sonia Wieder-Atherton
Cello: Sonia Wieder-Atherton
Piano: Sarah RothenbergSet to footage from Chantal Akerman’s documentary D’Est (1993)
With the music of Béla Bartók, Frédéric Chopin, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel, Alfred Schnittke and Boris Tchaikovsky
Production Credits
Philharmonie de Paris
In partnership with Chantal Akerman Foundation, Cinematek Brussels and Jeu de Paume Paris
2024 Premiere: Salle des Concerts Cité de la musique – Philharmonie de Paris
Support for Crossing The Line
and The Wescustogo Foundation
Opening Reception supported by
L’Alliance New York’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the Support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Header Image: D’Est © Chantal Akerman Foundation
Sarah Rothenberg headshot: © E. Conley
Sonia Wieder-Atherton headshot: © Xavier Arias
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