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."Justin Peck world premiere rounds out SF Ballet Program 7 " by Leslie Katz, San Francisco Examiner. April 11, 2016. Accessed April 13, 2016.
Track listing
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
Charts + Chart performance for The BQE Chart (2009) Peakposition
References
External links Asthmatic Kitty Records' page for The BQE