top of page
Writer's pictureEleni Ioannidou

Wanderer / Pictures from the lives of the romantics

Updated: Aug 11

Chamber music piece with ballet and video projections.

Concept and dramaturgy: Eleni Ioannidou

Choreography: Edgar Ioannis Avetikyan, dancer

Musical accompaniment: Simonas Poška, ​​pianist / Zofia Dynak-Chwałko, pianist Video projections: Richard Coldman


Performer

Poet: Edgar Joannis Avetikyan, dancer

Musician: Simonas Poska, pianist

Ideal (Freedom)/ Aurora: Sara Nicastro, dancer

Artist: Zofia Dynak-Chwalko, pianist


(Steeven-Fabian Bonig, poet, recitation Jakob Böhme)


About the piece

Inspired by the fates of the Romantics around 1824, such as the poet Lord Byron, composers such as Franz Liszt or Frédéric Chopin, the painter Caspar David Friedrich or the composer Fanny Hensel, the one-hour chamber music piece “Wanderer” aims to be an allegory about the life of the Romantics. Caspar David Friedrich's images serve as a stage set in the background - edited into a video using AI. The performers (musicians and dancers) become “wanderers” in the landscape of the mountains, but also the lagoon, just like Lord Byron, Franz Liszt and Julius Slowacki 200 years ago. These artists tried to influence the events of their time through their art or their own lives. They all shared the ideal of freedom, the love of nature and a deep spirituality. Many Romantics died young, some fell in the turmoil of the revolutions, others became mentally ill. But their legacy and history outlived them and inspired many generations after them.  In the year of Romantics 2024, 200 years after the death of Lord Byron in the south, in the lagoon of Messolonghi, and 250 years after the birth of Caspar David Friedrich in the north, Greifswald on the Baltic Sea - their spirit awakens again.  In the chamber music piece “Wanderer”, Eleni Ioannidou, an opera singer and producer, combines Romantic music with modern dance, recitation or singing and modern video design based on CDF’s paintings.


Plot

In 1824, all of Europe was in turmoil. The poet and his friends, sensitive souls, live in the middle and desperately search for meaning in life, like in the painting "monk on the stormy see". The “cross” and Jesus provide comfort. Ideals like freedom also appear as stars and signposts. The ideal of freedom in the piece is a woman who leads the artist to the mountain top from where he can see the world better. Inspired by the purity of nature and the eternal ideal, artists find new life in their art, and then leave it as a testament for future generations. Many Romantics will die in the revolutions, including Lord Byron, our poet.

Young women, artists and friends walk in the cemetery with the graves of the deceased idealists and meditate on their legacy. On a metaphysical level, the bodies of the living meet the spirits of the dead. From the beauty of their “testament” - as a symbol we use a book of poetry - arises the perspective of a better future for this new generation. The best image to express this idea is Caspar David Friedrich's “Woman with the Rising Sun,” which closes the ballet piece.


The anniversaries in 2024

In April 1824 (200 years), one of the most famous Romantic poets, Lord Byron, died in Messolongi, Greece, trying to support the Greek national movement. Caspar David Friedrich did not advocate a revolution, but with his paintings and his political thesis he was certainly a romantic of the Vormärz movement. He was born 250 years ago in Greifswald (1774). A third anniversary for 2024 is that of the Görlitz mystic Jakob Böhme. He died 400 years ago in Görlitz. His mysticism and his worship of Jesus were a great inspiration for many Romantics, such as Novalis.


The actors

The Poet: Sensitive passionate soul. He can be depressed but also determined, enthusiastic and rebellious. Inspiration: Lord Byron, Eugene Delacroix

Actor: Edgar Ioannis Avetykian


The musician: More introverted and spiritual, less Dionysian than the poet, more Apollonian. Byron dies in the revolution, Liszt becomes a priest. Model: Chopin/Liszt. Also Caspar David Friedrich.

Actor: Simonas Poska


The Ideal (Freedom) / Aurora: The actress wears a white, archaic dress. Later, with a dark coat over this white dress, she is the woman who sees the rising sun (Aurora). Model: Freedom leads the people (Delacroix, 1830).

Actress: Sara Nicastro


The Artist: It is the artist of Romanticism. Sensitive woman who writes music and poetry, who loves and protects art and artists. Role model: Bettina von Arnim. Actress:  Zofia Dynak-Chwałko.



Pictures


Overture: Riots

Das Eismeer (1824) / Schiffswrack

Felsenriff am Meeresstrand (1824) for the slow part of the Scherzo. Only without the rock, at "da capo" does the rock appear again in the dark horizon.


Music

Fryderyk Chopin: Scherzo Nr.1 B-minor Op.20


Choreography

VIDEO solo / TRIO EDGAR-AURORA-ARTIST middle part of Scherzo / DUO EDGAR-AURORA for dacapo


The musician appears on stage from the bunker and, thinking deeply about the events, sits down at the piano and plays the scherzo. At the same time the video begins. The whole first part until Min.4´ is just choreography of the video and lighting on the musician. He is the protagonist here. In the central slow part of the Scherzo (Min.4´), the three other performers appear as a trio (poet-aurora-artist) and dance peacefully and harmoniously. Zofia is not a dancer, just a pantomime. It's a waltz for three. Something like the Three Graces in Boticelli's "Spring". When the initial music returns, Zofia moves away and the poet dances a dramatic duo (Poet-Aurora), which ends with him falling exhausted on the floor. It means the passions of the society with the wars and political aproears but also the affairs and scandalous erotic life of the poet.

She stops, observes the consumed artist without being able to help him. As the next music (Debussy) begins, she moves away from the background of the picture "Monk by the Lake" (to the left).


First picture: Poet

Der Mönch am Meer (1809)


Music

Claude Debussy: Prelude Nr.2 "Feuilles mortes" (4´)


Choreography

SOLO EDGAR

The image changes to a stormy, melancholic sea without light. While Debussy´s prelude plays, the poet remains on the ground for a while. Then he slowly gets up and dances a dance that expresses his melancholy. Trending downwards. Tries to get up, but has no strength, falls agains. Depression. Dead leaves falling - no hope. The dance develops like a walk - mechanically slowly from left to right like the monk in the picture. In the end he falls back down exhausted and begins to pray (lying down). Recitation without music.



Second picture: The cross

A combination between

Kreuz an der Ostsee (1815)

Tetschener Altar (Das Kreuz im Gebirge) - 1807


Music

Improvisation zu Olivier Messiaen´s "Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus, Nr. I. Regard du Père" (6´20) mit Rezitation: Gebet über das Kreuz von Jakob Böhme


Choreography

SOLO EDGAR / at the end DUO IDEAL-EDGAR

While the image of the cross appears in the background - at first very blurred in the gray fog - the weather slowly changes, light appears, the sun behind the clouds, the cross becomes clearer and clearer. The small rock turns into a mountain, the fir trees appear. The sunrays. Edgar remains exhausted on the ground - The recitation of the prayer begins. Slowly in a moment he half stands up - we have the impression that he is praying with passion. Fabian Bone (who recites) can appear next to the grand piano like a Jakob Böhme or we can only hear his voice. Like a hermit, he tells a mystic text that inspires the romantic poet. Edgar's dance here is a light movement that represents a prayer to the cross. Later he turns around - moves longingly towards this cross, which at the end of the music becomes the cross in the mountains. The darkness of the landscape has cleared. Rays of a weak sun appear in the horizon.


Jakob Böhme/ Prayer

"I, a poor man, full of fear and misery, am wandering on my pilgrimage route back to the fatherland I left, and am going back to you through the thistles and thorns of this world, O God, my Father! And be torn by thorns everywhere and tormented and despised by enemies. They revile my soul and despise it, as an evildoer who has trespassed against them. They despise my way to you and consider it foolish; They think that I am foolish for walking on this path of thorns and not walking their glacial road with them. O Lord Jesus Christ, I flee to you under your cross." (From here music by Messiaen) "Oh, dear Emanuel, please take me and lead me to you through your pilgrimage route that you walked in this world, through contempt and ridicule, also through your incarnation and poverty, through your fear, suffering and death! Make me like your image! Send your good angel with me to show me the way through this cruel, thorny desert of the world! Help me in my misery! Comfort me with the comfort that the angel in the garden comforted you when you were praying to your father and sweating blood! Do you keep me in my fear and persecution, under the ridicule of the devil and all false people who do not know you and your way and do it out of blindness through the devil's deception. Have mercy on them and bring them out of blindness into the light, so that they may know you as they lie trapped in the mud and excrement of the devil in a dark valley, tied tightly with three chains! O great God, have mercy on Adam and his children; redeem in Christ, the new Adam!"


The piece ends with the poet standing and in a similar position to Aurora at the end of the piece ("Morning and Rising Sun") with his hands almost in a cross, he longs for a change. At the end of Messiaen's piece, from behind (he does not see her) at the front of the stage from left to right, the ideal (Aurora without a coat) comes with solemn, beautiful steps accompanied by the artist, who is holding a book in her hands. She walks slowly but more naturally behind the ideal and observes the scene (Zofia). Simonas ends the play when Fabian has finished reading his prayer. The poet stands in the cross position, turned upside down towards the cross, in the background of the stage. In front, the Ideal looks at him right in front of him, also turned around to face the audience. The musician stays at the piano for a few seconds, but notices the Ideal and slowly stands up, attracted by it. Musically we have NOTHING here, just pantomime. The poet feels that someone is standing behind him and slowly turns around, he now sees the beautiful apparition looking at him high up with gentle authority, solid and majestic and a movement of relief or hope inspires him. He was empty and now he is inspired by something new and beautiful and good, which he has no idea what it is. Surrender. He gives in and lets this energy inspire him like a child, shy but hopeful. A small approach of the Ideal, him and also the musician who comes onto the stage, where the musician stood before. The musisian and artist briefly cross paths, she admires. He also cares. With the same joy with which she accompanied the Ideal, she sits down at the piano, opens the book and begins to play the "Sposalizio".


Third picture: Ideal

Morgen im Riesengebirge (1810)


Music

Franz Liszt: Aus "Années de Pelegrinage" / Italié "Sposalizio" (8´20)


Choreography

SOLO IDEAL / at the end (Min. 5.20?) TRIO IDEAL-EDGAR-MUSIKER

The poet and the musician feel the ideal as if it were a real woman but we feel that it is a choreography between a spiritual entity and real people. This piece is a solo for Sara. The Ideal dances while the mountain landscape moves behind. The purpose of the choreography is to inspire feelings of hope and freedom but also love. Lots of upward moving, passion but also authority of a guide. Smile on theface. The two artists stand left and right and interact very delicatelly, as if a breath of wind appears between them, every now and then she whispers something in the ear, or takes his hand and tries to move, tries to take him into the dance. More and more as the music gets more fiery, the two artists get more and more life. The impression arises that the spiritual entity and the artists "marry" (Sposalizio) - that is, the highest joy of love, creativity is stimulated. The piece ends with a trio, the ideal and the two men arrive in a more beautiful world and are inspired. The cross of the image is getting closer and closer. She takes the poet by the hand and pulls him towards the cross, she brings him up, she leaves him in front of the cross (looking towards the background) and moves away with slow steps as if she want not to wake up a child, always looking at him in the direction again front center. The musician also looks towards the cross but the ideal tells him to follow her and sit at the piano. She takes Zofia from the piano and together they briefly observe the musician and the poet.


Fourth image: Art

Riesengebirge (1830)

Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (1818)



Music

Franz Liszt. Vallee d´Obermann (13´)


Choreography

SOLO EDGAR / DUO IDEAL-EDGAR / SOLO EDGAR

The women watch the musician as if they were listening to Franz Liszt in a salon. In the background Edgar dances his solo "Wanderer am Nebelmeer". The purpose of the choreography is to show how an artist develops the desire to write something. As the piece becomes more passionate, the poet looks for pen and paper. This is the book that Zofia left on the piano. The book is an important element in the piece, so part of the dance is now a duet with this instrument. The Ideal, like a mentor/mother, observes the poet as if she guide him by distance (Min. 4.50` she joins his solo). We have the whispering in the ear - it is affectionate but platonic. Still very passionate. Does Edgar manage to look the relation between Ideal-Poet seem both spiritual and carnal? In the end he throws all his passion onto the paper, he writes. So Min 7´ solo ballet of the poet who writes his CANTO. At the end he completes the work, he is very proud, he lets it rest with reverence and love somewhere, perhaps on the piano or on the side of the stage. He moves towards the picture and climbs the mountain again. Min 9.20 - the picture of the Wanderer. Happy!

End part 1


BREAK


Part 2

Fifth picture: Two wanderers

Sonnenuntergang (1830)


Music

Schubert: Impromptu Nr. 3 (6´40)


Choreography

DUO EDGAR-SIMONAS

Zofia takes the book on the piano, sits down and plays the beautiful Impromptus. The image of the sea with the setting sun appears. At the beginning just video. At around 1.40 minutes the two protagonists appear and walk in this landscape with inner peace. This is a dance but also pantomime that depicts the peaceful friendship of the musician and the poet. So it's a DUO but of a different kind: a dancer and an actor interact and express their friendship. Every now and then you hear sad, stormy chords but friendship and loyalty prevails. They swear eternal solidarity in battle and life. Zofia ends the play, takes the book with reverence and leaves.


Sixth picture: Revolution and death

Seestück bei Mondschein (1827)

Küste bei Mondschein (1835)


Music

Alexander Scriabin: Vers la flamme, Poème op. 72 (5´50)

Choreography

SOLO EDGAR

The two friends plan the revolution. The landscape in the picture becomes darker and threatening. Dark clouds, storm. A ship wobbles on the sea in the moonlight. The sea is becoming increasingly stormy. At the end the ship disappears (sinks or just disappears?) the two pillars appear. The picture darkens completely, the clouds get closer and closer. Sharp clouds end in total black at the end. Choreographic: When Zofia leaves, the two friends who remained in a friendly embrace or hand holding at the end of the Schubert piece wake up as if from a dream. They decide to act. Enough with writing poetry and music, no more just thinking. They also have to live. Real life, real actions, matter. Simonas sits down at the piano and plays the music for Edgar's dance. As if his music moves Edgar's actions like a puppeteer moves a puppet. Edgar's dance is a representation of revolution. How he now wants to defend the ideal of freedom that he loved so much with his own life and all his strength. The dance describes his struggle and death. He falls in the center of the stage. Light on him and darkness. Simonas stands up slowly. He approaches, bends, takes his head, not sad, a kind of hopeful pietá. There is no death. He returns to the piano and plays this:

Franz Liszt: Ave verum corpus - transcription. (3´)


Seventh picture: cemetery

Friedhofseingang (1821)

Kügelgens Grab (1821)


Music

Chopin: Nocturne Cis-minor Op. 27. Nr.1 (6´)


Choreography

DUO AURORA-ARTIST / TRIO AURORA-MUSICIAN - EDGAR

Still in the darkness, the two towers from the previous picture slowly transform into a gate to the cemetery. The picture brightens. The poet remains dead on the ground. Simonas ends the Ave Verum Corpus. The picture now changes in one way: we enter the cemetery. The gates are now behind the gravestones. The video now moves as if someone were walking between the tombstones observing them, reading the writings.

Two women come on stage. Zofia and Aurora with a book. Both are as if in mourning. Atmosphere like "Monk by the Sea" but not so tragic - bright, there is light. The element of hope and life is omnipresent with these three living and one dead on stage circling around him. Zofia sits down at the piano and plays Chopin. The choreography for this is the slow awakening of the poet's spirit in this cemetery with the influence of the thoughts of the two living people (the young woman Aurora, the admirer of his poetry and his friend, musician who lives). So now we have a trio again but the spirit is not the Ideal (now Aurora is dressed in black) but himself. Aurora, materialization of the Ideal, is holding his book in his hand (his "baby"). She walks at the cemetery. Thinks, dreams. The musician the same. The poet's corpse (unseen by them) slowly comes to life. The musician doesn't see him either. He just thinks about him. This longing wakes him up. In the end, all three of them are standing at the cemetery and walking. The poet interact, he is happy especially because they love him - like a wind flows close to them. During the final bars of the Nocturne (major) - the background of the cemetery turns into the garden terrace. This transformation can also take place earlier. The bare trees of the cemetery turn into two huge green trees. The tombstone of Kugengchen becomes the Greek statue of the Fontane, it recalls the ideal of the first part. the two gates of the cemetery become gates to the garden. The mountains at the end of the first part appear again and remind us of this beautiful, hopeful time on the mountains of the first part. When the whole transformation is complete, Aurora sits and reads her beloved poet's book (exact picture "Garden Terrace"). The poet sits on the other side of the stage and watches the young woman lovingly - same as Ideal in the first part. The musician approaches the piano and sits down next to Zofia. He plays.


Epilogue: Aurora

Gartenterrasse (1812)


Music

Franz Liszt: Consolations, S. 172: III. Lento placido (I AM NOT SURE IF THIS COMES - perhaps the choreography comes on the end of the nocturne and the beginning of Sonett)


Choreography

SOLO AURORA - am Ende mit Künstlerin und Edgar

The picture is complete and Aurora sits reading on a piece or stage-element, which we will often use in the previous scenes (like to climb to the summit with the cross). The musician sits down next to Zofia and plays the consolation. You have the feeling that a master and his student, mentor and successor also feel kind of spiritual love for each other. Zofia listens for a bit but then the attention turns to her friend. Aurora reads and raves about the beauty of poetry. The choreography shows all kinds of emotions that one can feel when excited about reading the favorite writer. This happy dance full of longing and hope lasts the entire piece and ends when she falls asleep while reading. So after the initial solo, we have a solo with accompaniment. At the end the poet also comes along. At the beginning he sits to the side and watches. As Aurora's enthusiasm increases, he moves into the distance and watches the scene with increasing admiration. At the end of Consolation Aurora falls asleep while reading. Zofia takes the book from her hands. She looks at the “holy” book in amazement. She sits down at the piano and plays the Sonnet.


Frau in der Morgensonne (1818)


Music

Franz Liszt: Années de Pelegrinage. Italie: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca.


Choreography

TRIO AURORA-EDGAR-MUSIKER

The musician listens like a loving mentor and at the same time observes the dance that accompanies this music. It is the poet's pas de deux with Aurora. At the beginning the poet approaches from a distance and watches the young student lovingly but emotionlessly (he is still a spirit) like a master. Actually, this pas de deux may be a woman's dream or sleepwalking. In the dream, the hopeful poet and the dreamer experience a happy second "Sposalizio" - their spirits unite, one comforts the other, give each other hope, life. I also like the idea that he whispers again and again - like a wind (spirit) and every time she smiles happily. At 4.30´ the two separate. The poet comes on the right - the musician approaches on the left. She opens her eyes and sees them both "Tanta dolcezza" and is really happy and free. The picture changes (already slowly before): the gate opens. We walk on the road... towards the mountains. Aurora turns back, raises her hands and welcomes the new day as she walks. the two wanderers walk with her left and right towards the morning sunrise.

End of the piece


Playlist

SIMONAS

Fryderyk Chopin: Scherzo 1 (Part) (10´)

Claude Debussy: Prelude Nr.2 "Feuilles mortes" (4´)

Imrpovisation Text Böhme (on Messiaen) (4´)

ZOFIA

Liszt: Sposalizio (8´20)

SIMONAS

Liszt. Vallee d´Obermann (13´)

ZOFIA

Schubert: Impromptu 3 (6´40)

SIMONAS

Scriabin: Vers la flamme (6´)

Liszt: Ave verum corpus - transcription. (3´)

ZOFIA

Chopin: Nocturne Cis-minor Op. 27. Nr.1 (6´)

ZOFIA

Liszt: Sonetto 123 Petrarca (8´)


TOTAL: 75´






89 views0 comments

Comentarios


bottom of page