Odyssee
Acoustic turbulences for vocal chords and various instruments
The composer Anestis Logothetis has devised a graphic representation of one of the oldest European stories, offering performers and audience the special experience of an adventure of sounds.
The room becomes Ulysses` world where the audience sits like islands in the midst of the adventures of the odyssey. This performance tells the story of the Greek king who incensed the sea-god Poseidon. Everything that can produce sound is made use of: Normal instruments, any sounds produced with mouth and body and a lot more.
The performance, which also includes a choreography, brings antiquity back to life for 60 minutes.
About the procedure
During the first few lessons the pupils gathered their knowledge about the Odyssey. There are terms which have become part of the German language, i.e. `bezirzen` (to bewitch) from `Circe` or `Sirenengesang` (song of the Sirens). The pupils then prepared a precise account of the stages of the odyssey.
Next we had a close look at the score and collected all associations connecting the tale and the abstract graphic representation.
Wavy lines, figures of eight: The staggering of the men intoxicated by lotus?
Spiral lines: The blowing of Aeolian winds?
Massive, thick blocks of lines: The racket of the cyclops Polyphemus?
A wild scrawl, asterisks, triangles and rectangles, thick and hectic: The battle with Scylla and Charybdis?
Neatly arranged small groups of rectangles and triangles: Helios` cattle?
A fat block of cross-shaped lines: The realm of shades?
Logothetis did not specify how the graphic pictures relate to the events. It is all a matter of decision.
Next we gathered notes, sounds and noises. Anyone with a musical instrument or any idea for a sound, brings them. What can we do with our bodies and mouths? As the pupils are in a school choir, we try in particular what we can do singing.
Then we looked for connections between sounds and graphic representation: How does a spiral sound? How do we sing a rectangle, in white and in black?
We found out that all the events in the graphic score are linked to a continually changing line.
This is the route we must follow, it does not break off and always sounds new. We intend to fill in this line with texts/songs by Homer in order to prepare our audience for the story to come. We also prepare an installation of sounds.
To be able to work on different levels we split the group up into younger (10-12 years) and older pupils. Our aim is now to bring the stages of Ulysses` wanderings to life again with all our musical possibilities.
Sirens in Mozart`s costume – the children`s and youth choir Voices impressed the audience by a highly imaginative performance.
