15 Departing Ships
DEPARTING SHIPS
C O N C E P T
Dance Theater in nine Tableaux by
Reinhold Urmetzer
for Female Voice (mezzo-soprano)
small Instrumental Ensemble (classical)
Speaker and Dance Group
Tape Playback with Disco Music
Solo Dancers: Achilles, Patroclus, Odysseus,
Thetis, Brisēís (beloved of Achilles)
Note: if the dance theater is to be staged in a more politically directed manner, the title “Departing Ships” should be used. If the all-knowing and powerless-almighty sea-goddess Thetis is the focus instead, the title “Thetis” should be used, or possibly “Thetis Project.” If the classical love-story between Achilles, Brisēís, and Patroclus stands to the fore, then “Patroclia” – the story of the life and death of Patroclus, the lover and companion-in-arms of Achilles.
CONTENT
1. Præludium
2. Song of the Sea-Goddess Thetis
3. Lamento di Thetis
4. Patroclia
5. Lamento di Achille
6. Departing Ships (Thetis-pop EDM)
7. Danse des Victimes (Sarabande)
8. Funeral Dance
9. Migration Song
Note: this dance theater gives an account of one of the most important and central episodes of Homer’s Iliad. Thetis, a sea-goddess and mother of Achilles, wishes to forestall his death in the Trojan War. Patroclus is his friend, and his death disencumbers Achilles to take part in the Trojan War once more. Yet both lose their lives.
The subject-matter is easily interwoven into the present: it deals with breaking (off, up, through), the future, friendship, and deterioration.
I was inspired to undertake this project by my repeated encounters with independent French dance groups at the annual festival of French theater ( Perspectives du Théatre français) in Saarbrücken under the director Marc Adam.
1st Tableau (11′): Patroclus and Achilles live in the palace of Achilles’ father Penteus.
They group up together as brothers.
The music (Præludium) already foreshadows the early death of both in the Trojan War.
Odysseus discovers the costumed/hiding Achilles
He must board a ship with Patroclus and go to war.
2nd Tableau (8′): Entrance of Thetis, Achilles’ mother and goddess of the sea.
She knows that death is before both men, and they will never return home.
In her classical Song of the Sea-Goddess Thetis, she warns of the future.
It also invokes, however, the strength and confidence of her son.
Solo music.
3rd Tableau (10′): Ships departing for Troy
Lamento di Thetis (instrumental)
and with dance group.
4th Tableau (5′): Patroclia – Patroclus tells the story of his life and death, and that he was killed by Hector.
Music: Piano as background music, possibly with dance.
5th Tableau (5′): Lamento di Achille on the death of his friend.
Brisēís his beloved seeks to comfort him.
(instrumental for cello and piano, with dance group).
6th Tableau (5′): Departing Ships. Boisterous victory celebration of the Greeks:
Achilles has killed Hector in vengeance, giving the Greeks hope and courage once more.
Joy over the journey home.
Disco-pop (playback) along with Yolo Rhymes (EDM).
7th Tableau (Part 1, 5′): Bal des Victims (Sarabande)
Dance group. Music: Sarabande (piano).
Note: after the French Revolution, dance events were
organized to which only the victims of the revolution
were invited.
7th Tableau (Part 2, 5′) ad libitum: Parting (Thetis’ Song with voice, cello, and piano)
Solo music
8th Tableau: Funeral Dance (Apotheosis): Burial of Patroclus and
foreshadowing of the future: funeral pyre, sacrifice of the ten youths,
view of the future with death of Achilles, the urn with the ashes of both heroes
is given a solemn burial.
Dance group.
Music: New composition presently in progress.
Instruments: Violin, Cello, Piano
The music builds up to a lively intoxication of longing and friendship.
The dance group can amplify this dynamism with rhythmic stomping and drumming.
9th Tableau: Epilogue/Postlude: Thetis appears once more and
sings, now in English and as a completely different woman and goddess,
perhaps of unhappiness and deterioration,
the pop version of her song (current titled Migration Song).
Meanwhile the procession of refugees, desperate and castaways is set once more
in motion.
Parallel to this possibly the YouTube video with NátaLia.
Note: during the entirety of the dance theater,
an endless procession of refugees,
castaways, migrants, or the desperate
may accompany the action, observe it, or
intervene in the events (also via film).
Music
Note: the music was inspired by American films and pop music.
For several years now I have wholly rejected atonality and avant-gardist
techniques. Modal harmonies, Minimal Music, and retro-quotations are my
preferred stylistic means.
The music is already recorded to CD.
The 8th tableau still remains to be set with instruments,
is however largely complete.
1st Tableau: Præludium (piano)
2nd Tableau: Song of the Sea-Goddess Thetis (voice, violin, piano)
3rd Tableau: Lamento di Thetis (violin, piano)
4th Tableau: Patroclia (recitation, piano)
5th Tableau: Lamento di Achille (cello, piano)
6th Tableau: Departing Ships (disco-pop playback)
7th Tableau: Bal des Victimes (Sarabande, piano)
8th Tableau: Funeral Dance (violin, cello, piano)
9th Tableau: Migrants’ Song (voice, piano)
Text, 4th Tableau (recitation): Patroclus tells the story of his life and death (Patroclia)
Source: Homer’s Iliad (16th – 19th and 22nd – 23rd songs)
Edition with commentary from Marion Giebel
(Reclam 18299)
Solo Dance:
1st Tableau: Achilles and Patroclus, later Odysseus
5th Tableau: Achilles and Brisēís
8th Tableau: Achilles and Patroclus again, ad libitum (similar to 1st Tableau).
On the choreography: a full-evening dance theater with live music (small ensemble).
Spoken text/theatrical performance, dance, possibly film.
Crossover-technique.
The musical performers have just completed music studies at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart.
NatáLia Bálint ( mezzo-soprano)
Sophie Fischer (violin)
Stephan Buchmiller (cello)
Beatrice Holzer-Graf (cello)
Evgeny Alexeev (piano)
Yolo Rhymes ( Disco Music via tape playback)
Speaker: NN
Choreography: NN
Stuttgart, 23rd November 2016 / 13th February 2017
Note: “Nine European Farewells” is a further dance theater from Reinhold Urmetzer. The music from Nr. 3 (“Nobody Knows”) has already been released on the CD “Maytime” with Renaissance songs
Song of Thetis (Migration Song)
1 There is at my endless and broad wild shores
and at my infinite beaches
a young man looking for himself (1),
a young man to be found,
who’s longing sadly for you and his old world
yet who is happy finally having left
who’s strong enough to get it,
strong enough to reach
everything that you want
and the almighty fate
would have prepared,
would have prepared.
2 To you, father, he will say
that he is full of love and hate,
but one day he will forgive you
for you wasn’t able to succeed,
’cause from you, he got the passion,
The fear and the need.
3 That already in his young years
he searched for love and for lust –
pain, sorrow, hate and yearning
……………
Nature – the god of sense, reason and mind,
Nature – the god of grace, pity and mercy
4 Sea – large and strong and passionate sea,
beautiful and wild
……….
beautiful and wild,
tell them in the south
don’t forget his mother
that he will be on the right tracka
with power and pride
……….,,
With people full of patience, love and trust
5 That he will say hello goodbye with teary eyes
that he is ready like we all are
to meet, to stand up and resist
all the darkness of future to brave out, brave out
all the darkness of future to
brave
a well known realm of shade
1 ossiam: looking for you
English translation by N.Andrew Walsh
