A unique artistic partnership between Mark Springer (Rip Rig + Panic) and Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys), combining a suite for piano, quartet, and quintet with vocals, accompanied by lyrics offering thoughtful introspection.
The collaboration explores the intersection of divergent creative approaches-one characterized by radical expression, the other by meticulous craftsmanship. The result is a work that invites reflection and demonstrates the potential of disciplined artistic dialogue.
"I bought a book of Goya's print series Los Caprichos which had inspired Mark's music and saw that the artworks were a satirical, cruel, nightmarish portrayal of the politics, corruption and culture of his era, exploring his dreams—or nightmares—while exposing the double standards of the ruling establishment. The lyrics I wrote for 'Sleep of Reason', in response to Los Caprichos, are intended to be sardonic and dreamlike, looking back to Goya's nightmares but then reflecting on my experiences in 21st Century popular culture and media in which I have located the 'monsters' Goya saw in his dreams. It often feels like we're living in an era dominated by monsters with their grotesque egos hollering through social media, unfiltered and untruthful, leaving a trail of wreckage behind them. Maybe it's always felt like that."
Neil Tennant
Mark Springer, former member of Rip Rig + Panic, is a British composer, pianist and performing artist who works internationally, playing his own "compositions in real time" as well as his scored works for solo piano, orchestra, piano and string ensembles.
Neil Tennant (born 1954) is a British singer and songwriter, co-founder and lead singer of the duo Pet Shop Boys.
The Sacconi Quartet is a UK-based classical music string quartet founded in 2001.
