The BQE (soundtrack)

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:

"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."

Ballet
Justin Peck's ballet In the Countenance of Kings, made for the San Francisco Ballet, is set to music from The BQE.

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