USPUD_emoticon
Creation ProART 2014
Martin Dvořák’s double-bill dance evening. First Czech presentation of an unique mystic piano ballet from Erik Satie - USPUD - together with a contemporary „electro-acoustic“ choreography - Emoticon.
Direction, choreography: Martin Dvořák
Music: Erik Satie, Tom Hodge, Franz Kirmann
Costumes: Jindra Rychlá
Interpreters: Irene Bauer, Martin Dvořák, Aleš Slanina
Piano: Richard Pohl
Photography: Marek Procházka
SHOWS 2016:
19. 11. / La Valetta, Malta: EMOTICON
25. 6. / Valtice - Castle Theatre: EMOTICON
22. 2. / Brno - Villa Tugendhat: EMOTICON
SHOWS 2015:
2. 12. / Liberec - Lázně: Emoticon
28. 11. / Neapel, Italy: Emoticon
12. 6. LINZ / Austria - Lange Nacht der Buehnen - Lentos: EMOTICON (19:18 + 23:00)
15. 3. / Canaldanse Paris, France - Emoticon + JAN
14. 3. / Czech Centre Paris, France - Emoticon + JAN
SHOWS 2014:
20. 12. Brno / Divadlo na Orlí / Another Jan (opening night) + Emoticon
19. 12. Praha / Ponec / Another Jan (opening night) + Emoticon
16. 11. Dresden-Radebeul / Landesbuehnen Sachsen / Beethoven: Kreutzer Sonata_ Emoticon
14. 11. Vienna / Theater Brett / Mitteleuropäisches Theaterkarussell 2014 / Beethoven: Kreutzer Sonata_Emoticon
9. 11. Brno / Dance Life Expo - Motion Scores IV. + X. / Emoticon (short cuts)
8. 10. Mitzpe Ramon / Israel / Sukkot Festival / Hangar Adama: Emoticon
13. 9. Bratislava / Elledanse / Emoticon + Motion Scores I-V / 20:00
23. 8. Budapest / Budapest Dance Theatre / Emoticon / 20:00
29. 7. Praha / ProART Festival / USPUD_emoticon / NoD 20:00
21. 7. Brno / ProART Festival / USPUD_emoticon / Divadlo na Orlí 20:00
23. 5. Bratislava / Elledanse 20:00
Opening nights: 19th, 20th and 21st of May 2014
VILA TUGENDHAT, Černopolní 45 Brno
Tickets reservation: info@tugendhat.eu or per phone: +420 515 511 015.
PRESS-MEDIA-VIDEO:
In their production ProART Company and Martin Dvořák focus on non traditional scenic introductions of classic music pieces. Following previous presentations of Foreign Bodies, Beethoven-Tolston-Janáček Kreutzer Sonata, Stravinsky’s Soldier Story and String Quartets projects ProART decided to continue their dramaturgic direction by presenting Christian mystic or mystifying ballet of Eric Satie USPUD.
Uspud is a music theatre established in 1892 and perceived by the author as a “Christian ballet” of three acts with the text of J. P. Contamine de Latoure. To date it is not clear in what sense the text was meant to be presented during the ballet as there is not clear or direct link leading to the score. There exist several concert versions when the text is freely recited during the music or is simply projected on the screen. The text is not composed to the music or its rhythm. It invites to free directing and interpretation elaboration.
Originally, Uspud was intended as a shadow play to be presented at a night club in Montmartre. Satie did present it there at last, however there exists no evidence of the form or scenic version. Uspud was then introduced as a composition to the director of Opera de Paris who rejected it for scenic production. Looking back it is not surprising for us as Uspud is a very curious and complicated composition, parody and classic act at the same time, incomplete and “undoable” conceptual gesture.
What Satie really meant by it is not clear as the music cannot be played with the instruments listed in the score. The piece is often perceived as an parody of opera and Wagneristic "gesamtkunstwerk" of those days. There doesn't exist any dance annotation, only music and text. Most likely Satie and de Latour decided to use the piece for motional production after its completion. It is however, rather a joke to call this piece a ballet. The “gesamtkunstwerk” offers itself as the composition is a synthesis of music, motion, text and conceptual vision.
The libretto exists in two versions – the final one and another one – created over night for the Director of Paris Opera. The text can be perceived as a parody, tribute or variation to Flaubert's text of Temptation of St. Anthony. Part of the first Act can be used as a demonstration of ironic subtext noted as the "trumpet sound" yet composed for a string quartet (!)
Second part of the evening will be dedicated to the Emoticon choreography with the music of Piano Interrupted of Tomas Hodge and Franz Kirmann, contemporary music body, together with Gymnopediés, Satie's most famous piece.
The concept of the choreography is carried in the atmosphere of a clash between the new and the old, the current and the past. The music composition forms a collision between the modern piano music of the 20th century with the current one in the same manner as a villa building radically changed the perception and aesthetics of architecture during its time. The acoustic piano piece collides with the electronic compositions of 21st century breaking into a new form, closer to the listener of today's young generation. Both interpreters - Irene Bauer and Martin Dvořák – seek here the dialogue between the solid structure of Satie's score and sound freedom of Hodge and Kirmann. Another aspect forms a gradually raising generation exchange which however is not perceived as a need or a must to "go with the flow' by either of the dancers. Both representatives of the classic dance education seek new expression means to bring value to their long-standing interpretation knowing that both have reached their "peak" long ago and now comes the time of leaving and looking back on their professional life. In the free embrace of the villa's walls we witness the professional confession of two extraordinary personalities of Czech dance theatre. The dialog of acoustic instruments – pianos and strings – with electronics stands here as a starting point for stage performance which does not carry the need for narration or any other way of sharing, but emotional fulfilling of the musical and motional expression.
The uniqueness of this project is intensified by its opening night at the Tugendhat Villa in Brno offering its space for realisation of a dance project for the first time in the current history, indirectly referring to the past times when the same place was used as a dance school. This is not the first time when the villa will welcome dance within.
Apart from the choreographer, director and interpreter Martin Dvořák, Richard Pohl, the pianist, Aleš Slanina, actor of the Městské divadlo Brno and Irene Baure, ProART Company dancer, also take part of the project. Costumes were designed by Jindra Rychlá.
The project is presented as part of the production of Tugendhat Villa and ProART Company with the financial support of the Statutory City of Brno, Život umělce Foundation and the State Culture Fund of the Czech Republic.
