short report on Partch _Oedipus_

Well, I just got back from the production in Montclair New Jersey on
the chartered bus during a pretty much driving rain through most of
the evening.

The Drummond Partch Oedipus production was spectacular.

In fact, for *my* taste, perhaps it was a bit *too* spectacular.

I sat right up in front near the Partch instruments, so I could see
them quite well but, quite frankly, I don't like having them
relegated to "pit" instruments. They are too interesting visually.

Additionally, there was *everything* going on visually. There was a
scrim that was up for the *entire* production, and on it were
continuous movie martial images of Nazi Germany and who knows what
else... moving columns, and a *second* rear projection on the scrim
featuring Egyptian gods, and lots of other stuff.

Besides this, there were the actual actors behind the scrim, and they
were illuminated from time to time, depending on what was going on,
as they were speaking or singing.

So this was exciting, I guess, but a bit of a "sensory overload."

I'm not always great on plots, but I asked my wife to explain to me
the relationship of the Oedipus plot to Nazi Germany.... maybe we're
thinking "The Producers" here... dunno. All she could come up with
was that Oedipus was one of the "bad guys"... etc., hence the
parallel. And these images went on throughout most of the production!

It was fun to see all this mish-mash, but it really didn't feature
the beautiful Partch instruments the way I hoped. The brilliant
designer of the program notes didn't help either by designing a light
and small font that was virtually illegible in the low lights of the
theatre, as well as omitting the *plot* of the Oedipus tragedy. Ok,
ok, I read it in *high school* but, believe me, I've been out of high
school for some time now...

I would have liked to have seen the *reverse* of this presentation:
the Partch instruments ONSTAGE in good lighting, so we could see them
performed... and maybe just a STAGED READING with fairly minimal
activity by actors down below.

Let's make PARTCH and the INSTRUMENTS the focus of all this, not all
this extraneous (but, I guess fun) razamatazzzzz.

My take, anyway...

Joseph Pehrson

>Well, I just got back from the production in Montclair New Jersey on
>the chartered bus during a pretty much driving rain through most of
>the evening.
>
>The Drummond Partch Oedipus production was spectacular.
>
>In fact, for *my* taste, perhaps it was a bit *too* spectacular.
>
>I sat right up in front near the Partch instruments, so I could see
>them quite well but, quite frankly, I don't like having them
>relegated to "pit" instruments. They are too interesting visually.
>
>Additionally, there was *everything* going on visually. There was a
>scrim that was up for the *entire* production, and on it were
>continuous movie martial images of Nazi Germany and who knows what
>else... moving columns, and a *second* rear projection on the scrim
>featuring Egyptian gods, and lots of other stuff.
>
>Besides this, there were the actual actors behind the scrim, and they
>were illuminated from time to time, depending on what was going on,
>as they were speaking or singing.
>
>So this was exciting, I guess, but a bit of a "sensory overload."

Sounds like an abomination.

Does anybody know what the heck this is all about?

-Carl

Joseph Pehrson wrote:

>Well, I just got back from the production in Montclair New Jersey on >the chartered bus during a pretty much driving rain through most of >the evening.
>
>The Drummond Partch Oedipus production was spectacular.
>
>In fact, for *my* taste, perhaps it was a bit *too* spectacular.
>
>I sat right up in front near the Partch instruments, so I could see >them quite well but, quite frankly, I don't like having them >relegated to "pit" instruments. They are too interesting visually.
>
>Additionally, there was *everything* going on visually. There was a >scrim that was up for the *entire* production, and on it were >continuous movie martial images of Nazi Germany and who knows what >else... moving columns, and a *second* rear projection on the scrim >featuring Egyptian gods, and lots of other stuff.
>
>Besides this, there were the actual actors behind the scrim, and they >were illuminated from time to time, depending on what was going on, >as they were speaking or singing.
>
>So this was exciting, I guess, but a bit of a "sensory overload."
>
>I'm not always great on plots, but I asked my wife to explain to me >the relationship of the Oedipus plot to Nazi Germany.... maybe we're >thinking "The Producers" here... dunno. All she could come up with >was that Oedipus was one of the "bad guys"... etc., hence the >parallel. And these images went on throughout most of the production!
>
>It was fun to see all this mish-mash, but it really didn't feature >the beautiful Partch instruments the way I hoped. The brilliant >designer of the program notes didn't help either by designing a light >and small font that was virtually illegible in the low lights of the >theatre, as well as omitting the *plot* of the Oedipus tragedy. Ok, >ok, I read it in *high school* but, believe me, I've been out of high >school for some time now...
>
>I would have liked to have seen the *reverse* of this presentation:
>the Partch instruments ONSTAGE in good lighting, so we could see them >performed... and maybe just a STAGED READING with fairly minimal >activity by actors down below.
>
>Let's make PARTCH and the INSTRUMENTS the focus of all this, not all >this extraneous (but, I guess fun) razamatazzzzz.
>
>My take, anyway...
>
>Joseph Pehrson
> >
Wow. Thanks for the review JP!

When they staged it in NYC in '97, the instruments were set up in a half circle
and the actors performed in front.

I wonder what Nazi Germany has to do with this.

I hoping that I could make it on Friday, but our tech night/dress rehearsal
started late and ended late. Sat. was out because I was performing in NY
and the Sun. afternoon show is out for the same reason.

--
* David Beardsley
* microtonal guitar
* http://biink.com/db

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> Sounds like an abomination.

Based on one description.

> Does anybody know what the heck this is all about?

Yes.

Cheers,
Jon

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, David Beardsley <db@b...> wrote:
> I wonder what Nazi Germany has to do with this.

For the record, I am fairly certain the footage was Vienna, and there
is a tie-in to the city of Sigmund Freud. But you'd have to see the
staging to see that connection.

> I hoping that I could make it on Friday, but our tech night/dress
rehearsal
> started late and ended late. Sat. was out because I was performing in NY
> and the Sun. afternoon show is out for the same reason.

Too bad Weds night wasn't an option. Even taking into consideration
the choices of setting on this production (not unlike the myriad of
stagings of Shakespeare), the underlying power of the vocal and
instrumental performances is worth experiencing. When, one might ask,
might they see this work done again?

Cheers,
Jon (who hopes db didn't drown in today's downpour...)

> Sounds like an abomination.
>
> Does anybody know what the heck this is all about?
>
> -Carl

***I think "abomination" might be a bit strong. Musically, it all
seemed on the highest level, and Jon has pointed out some marvellous
connections between singing and speaking that I half missed, but
remember now, thinking about it.

I'm just questioning all the visuals. Of course, it was also strange
to see all the performers in surgeon's garb, as in an operating room.

I guess when people say that "men in white coats" are needed for
people absorbed in microtonality this is what they were talking
about, since there were evident in this performance...

JP

>> Sounds like an abomination.
>>
>> Does anybody know what the heck this is all about?
>>
>> -Carl
>
>
>***I think "abomination" might be a bit strong. Musically, it all
>seemed on the highest level, and Jon has pointed out some marvellous
>connections between singing and speaking that I half missed, but
>remember now, thinking about it.
>
>I'm just questioning all the visuals. Of course, it was also strange
>to see all the performers in surgeon's garb, as in an operating room.

And isn't putting the orchestra in a pit mistake number One?

-Carl

In a message dated 4/3/2005 12:40:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, ekin@lumma.org
writes:
And isn't putting the orchestra in a pit mistake number One?

-Carl
As I recall, there isn't as much music in the Oedipus production. As I
recall, Partch originally wrote for a Yeats translation, but he was forced to
abandon it by Yeats' heirs. There were 2 rewritings, based on a public domain
Sophocles text. It may be that the Sophocles text doesn't hold up as well to
Partch's original vision.

I have the Yeats recording done at Mills College and find it immensely
enjoyable. Yes, it is audio only and there are some really bad college actors
(whew). Still, I return to it and would love to see that production done. If
fact, I tried to present that production about 15 years ago, but was blocked by
Mr. Mitchell, who always claimed the production would be hopeless without the
original instruments. This is the only denial I ever received in doing
microtonal music throughout my career (except for Marvel Comics turning down and idea
for an opera based on two of its characters they believed headed for
hollywood. They haven't).

Somehow, later instrumental scores for the new/old text of Sophocles do not
have the "holding power" of the orignal Yeats. Not every transcription is an
improvement. Same holds for "Ulysses Departs From the Edge of the World" for
trumpet, double bass and boobams.

best, Johnny Reinhard

>I have the Yeats recording done at Mills College and find it immensely
>enjoyable.

Ditto.

-Carl

>
> And isn't putting the orchestra in a pit mistake number One?
>
> -Carl

***Well, Carl, I *personally* thought so, and even though I was in
the
very front of the auditorium and almost within arms length of the
diamond marimba and the cloud chamber bowls, it was dark there with
only illuminated music stands...

JP

Carl,

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> And isn't putting the orchestra in a pit mistake number One?

Information isn't being reported correctly. The about 75% of the
instruments were in front of the stage proper, *on* what would be the
pit elevator but *not* lowered into the pit. It appeared that they
were dropped about 6 inches, which left them in completely full view
of the audience (and very close) while just at the height to not
obscure sight lines to the drama. On both left and right sides of the
stage itself, tightly flanking the action, were the largest
instruments, bass marimba and harmonic canon on the left, Eroica and
kithara on the right.

The only way for them to be physically more present would to have them
be the set, and be completely on stage; this is not what occurred in
this particular production. But the instruments were not relegated to
the pit (in fact, the adapted viola actually was directly onstage in
one compelling scene, as an additional character), but in full and
active view of the audience.

One also has to bear in mind that this is the least corporeally
integrated of Partch's large stage dramas, as well as the one with the
least music (and musical interaction). Part of Partch's "Statement of
Intention" from the first production:

"The music is conceived as emotional saturation, or transcendence,
that it is the particular province of dramatic music to achieve. My
idea has been to present the drama expressed by language, not to
obscure it, either by operatic aria or symphonic instrumentation.
Hence, in critical dialogue, music enters almost insidiously, as
tensions enter. The words of the players continue as before, spoken,
not sung, but are a harmonic part of the music.

In these settings the inflected words are little or no different from
ordinary speech, except as emotional tensions make them different.
Assertive words and assertive music do not collide. Tone of spoken
word and tone of instrument are intended to combine in a compact
emotional or dramatic expression, each providing its singular
ingredient. My intention is to bring human drama, made of words,
movement, and music, to a level that a mind with average capacity for
sensitivity and logic can understand and therefore evaluate."

The blending of speech, intoning, singing, and instrumental playing
was a very strong point of this production. I'm going to put a
review/essay up on the Meadows sometime this week, so unless I see
glaring inaccuracies on the lists I'll reserve my observations for the
site.

Cheers,
Jon

Jon Szanto wrote:

>--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, David Beardsley <db@b...> wrote:
> >
>>I wonder what Nazi Germany has to do with this.
>> >>
>
>For the record, I am fairly certain the footage was Vienna, and there
>is a tie-in to the city of Sigmund Freud. But you'd have to see the
>staging to see that connection.
>
> >
>>I hoping that I could make it on Friday, but our tech night/dress
>> >>
>rehearsal
> >
>>started late and ended late. Sat. was out because I was performing in NY
>>and the Sun. afternoon show is out for the same reason.
>> >>
>
>Too bad Weds night wasn't an option. Even taking into consideration
>the choices of setting on this production (not unlike the myriad of
>stagings of Shakespeare), the underlying power of the vocal and
>instrumental performances is worth experiencing. When, one might ask,
>might they see this work done again?
>
>Cheers,
>Jon (who hopes db didn't drown in today's downpour...)
>
> >
Nah. Our audience seems to have been scared off by the water. Hopefully we'll
have a better showing today.

--
* David Beardsley
* microtonal guitar
* http://biink.com/db

My impression is that, although the instruments were in full view, if
you weren't in the front rows, you wouldn't see them very well. They
were definitely *not* on stage and not the center of visual
attention. (Although I noticed that Dean Drummond was nicely
illuminated through much of the production, and conducting from
considerably *higher* than the instruments, he being practically on
stage, only to the side...)

Additionally, the instruments were almost entirely "in the dark..."
except for illuminated music stands.

I was lucky to be in the very front row where I could see the
playing, although it was difficult to concentrate on that with all
the other stuff going on.

My take, anyway...

JP

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Jon Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
>
> Carl,
>
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> > And isn't putting the orchestra in a pit mistake number One?
>
> Information isn't being reported correctly. The about 75% of the
> instruments were in front of the stage proper, *on* what would be
the
> pit elevator but *not* lowered into the pit. It appeared that they
> were dropped about 6 inches, which left them in completely full view
> of the audience (and very close) while just at the height to not
> obscure sight lines to the drama. On both left and right sides of
the
> stage itself, tightly flanking the action, were the largest
> instruments, bass marimba and harmonic canon on the left, Eroica and
> kithara on the right.
>
> The only way for them to be physically more present would to have
them
> be the set, and be completely on stage; this is not what occurred in
> this particular production. But the instruments were not relegated
to
> the pit (in fact, the adapted viola actually was directly onstage in
> one compelling scene, as an additional character), but in full and
> active view of the audience.
>
> One also has to bear in mind that this is the least corporeally
> integrated of Partch's large stage dramas, as well as the one with
the
> least music (and musical interaction). Part of Partch's "Statement
of
> Intention" from the first production:
>
> "The music is conceived as emotional saturation, or transcendence,
> that it is the particular province of dramatic music to achieve. My
> idea has been to present the drama expressed by language, not to
> obscure it, either by operatic aria or symphonic instrumentation.
> Hence, in critical dialogue, music enters almost insidiously, as
> tensions enter. The words of the players continue as before, spoken,
> not sung, but are a harmonic part of the music.
>
> In these settings the inflected words are little or no different
from
> ordinary speech, except as emotional tensions make them different.
> Assertive words and assertive music do not collide. Tone of spoken
> word and tone of instrument are intended to combine in a compact
> emotional or dramatic expression, each providing its singular
> ingredient. My intention is to bring human drama, made of words,
> movement, and music, to a level that a mind with average capacity
for
> sensitivity and logic can understand and therefore evaluate."
>
> The blending of speech, intoning, singing, and instrumental playing
> was a very strong point of this production. I'm going to put a
> review/essay up on the Meadows sometime this week, so unless I see
> glaring inaccuracies on the lists I'll reserve my observations for
the
> site.
>
> Cheers,
> Jon

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:

> And isn't putting the orchestra in a pit mistake number One?

You could watch it the way Bruckner watched a Wagner opera. He'd get a
seat where he could stare down into the orchestra pit, which he often
did and hence missed a lot of the action on stage. "Just why are they
burning Brunhilde?" is a question he once asked of someone who went
with him and observed this curious performance, by which I mean
Brukcner's.

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Gene Ward Smith" <gwsmith@s...> wrote:
>
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
>
> > And isn't putting the orchestra in a pit mistake number One?
>
> You could watch it the way Bruckner watched a Wagner opera. He'd
get a
> seat where he could stare down into the orchestra pit, which he
often
> did and hence missed a lot of the action on stage. "Just why are
they
> burning Brunhilde?" is a question he once asked of someone who went
> with him and observed this curious performance, by which I mean
> Brukcner's.

***He obviously knew "where the action was," in *my* opinion... :)

I felt similarly at the Partch --- here I am staring at the cloud
chamber bowls being played in the dark, and I'm missing flickering
images of marching soldiers that, somehow, had some oblique
connection
to Freud... missing a *lot* I guess... :)

JP