Oberon's Grove: Xenakis: ORESTEIA at the Miller Theatre

Saturday September 13, 2008 - The Miller Theatre presented the first of three performances of Iannis Xenakis' ORESTEIA. (Above, a Richard Termine photo). In the 75-minute work, drawn from Aeschylus, the composer produces a cacophony of sound, from exuberant to austere to threatening. The ritualistic tone of the drama gives the ORESTEIA a paradoxical sensation of being both ancient and modern. Xenakis draws on unusual mixtures of instrumentation and vocal parlando to produce effects that alternately annoy, provoke and captivate the ear. Most prominent are the percussive element, calling for a drummer of stellar capabilities, and one solo vocal role which makes unique demands on the interpreter.

Entering the auditorium, we found the dancers warming up and the choristers milling about as the members of the International Contemporary Ensemble (seated on a sort of mezzanine above the stage) tuned their instruments. Once the 'play' starts, the chorus alternately chants, declaims and ululates, and they are called upon to play whistles, wood blocks and clappers. In addition to their individual instruments, the chamber players sometimes beat large tambourines.

Following a section based on Kassandra's prophecy of the murder of Agamemnon, elements of the story are shared with the Strauss masterpiece ELEKTRA: the return of Orestes, who avenges his father's murder by killing his mother. Xenakis goes on from there, showing the subsequent torment of Orestes at the hands of the pursuing Furies (Bouguereau's Remorse of Orestes, above). Orestes eventually seeks forgiveness which is granted by the goddess Athene.

Against the panoramic aural assault created by Xenakis, choreographer Luca Veggetti surrounds a sextet of dancers - who 'depict' the incidents described - with an austere, seated chorus. Veggetti's choreography is beautifully fluid with an emphasis on sustained movement which flows thru the arms. R. Colby Damon (in a Richard Termine photo, above) was part of an excellent ensemble of dancers: Frances Chiaverini, Kristi Capps, Olivia Ancona, Matthew Branham, and Stephan Laks. I'm really impatient now to see what Mr. Veggetti comes up with for Cedar Lake this winter.

There were two extraordinary individual performances: basso Wilbur Pauley (above) is called upon to sing in both his own natural range and in a deranged falsetto. This would be somewhat akin to having the same singer sing both the Forest Bird and Fafner in Act II of SIEGFRIED. He makes use of a psaltery, an ancient stringed instrument like a small harp, to accompany his utterances. Pauley, who I've seen in traditional opera productions, can't help but grab your attention: he's extremely tall. His clear command of every aspect of this very difficult role was really impressive. (Richard Termine photo).

[In 1992 Wilbur Pauley created the role of Wilhelm, the mentally defective but treacherous 'giant' in Corigliano's GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES at the Met. I wonder if he'll be called upon for the revival? It's hard to imagine anyone else who could be that perfect! Wilbur's deep, distinctive voice has also been heard in Disney films, notably the enchanting ENCHANTED.]

In a thrilling display of percussion virtuosity, David Schotzko (above) played with remarkable brilliance, flawlessly coordinating the various instruments the complex score calls for. He was also mesmerizing to watch, moving with the grace of a dancer. The audience went wild for him when he took his bow. From David's bio: "As a soloist, chamber musician, Program Director and founding percussionist of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), David Schotzko has premiered over 75 new works by composers from around the world. He has worked and studied closely with established composers such as Steve Reich, Julio Estrada, David Lang, Martin Bresnick, Evan Ziporyn, Tan Dun and James Wood, as well as continually championing the works of young and emerging composers."

After the goddess Athene has delivered Orestes from the Furies and established a code for future justice, the children's chorus all in white file down the aisles playing chimes. The adult chorus (above) come down from the stage and move among the audience as the score rises in a finale of weltering noise and joyous expressions of peace and hope. This evolved into a spirited ovation as the audience saluted the performers, conductor Stephen Osgood, and choreographer Luca Veggetti.