Sparagmos

"To the mountains Bacchus leads us,

Leads the hunt for meat that's raw
Tearing goats apart he feeds us
Tasting blood we ask for more..."

 

Note from Lucy, the Director

 

We performed ‘Sparagmos’, a musical double-bill of Euripides’ ‘Bacchae’ and Poliziano’s ‘Orpheus’, at Exeter College Chapel on 18th and 19th February 2015. Both are riveting theatrical works. Orpheus’ heartrending plight to win back his wife entranced the court of Gonzaga in the early Renaissance, and the representation of Dionysus’ maniacal revenge in ‘The Bacchae’ has captivated spectators for over 2500 years.

 

I am pleased to say that ‘Sparagmos’ met with tremendous success, and tickets for both evenings quickly sold out. My objective was partly to put a new spin on these two classical works, and I hoped to do so in two ways. I was firstly keen to use the setting of the Chapel to establish a strong sense of uneasiness amongst audience members. We decided perform in Chapel’s aisle, meaning that the actors would perform only two or three feet away from the audience; alongside this, I instructed the actors to maintain eye contact with spectators and even to sit next to them or address them at appropriate moments. I aimed for this closeness to create a sense of personal involvement in the play, which, given the plots, could only create apprehension. Indeed, spectators anticipate the infamous murders the moment that Dionysus and Mercury deliver their prologues.

 

I was secondly eager to draw on the comedy in the plays which would, in turn, emphasise their tragic elements. In characterising Pentheus, for example, I opted to create an ostentatious and somewhat narcissistic persona, acutely aware of his royal position and boastful of the respect he inspires in his courtiers. I was however careful to ensure he appealed to the audience and so emphasised the naivety and repressed homoeroticism inherent to his role, guaranteeing that he was a firm favourite with spectators. The resultant character was perfect: Pentheus’ undignified fall from grace was the cause of much laughter, but his eventual murder stunned the audience into silence.

 

The Chapel itself proved to be a perfect venue: ivy-clad, ornate and candlelit, the result was breathtaking, but also achieved the unearthly ambience I had envisioned. Our costumes were true to the era to which they belonged and successfully added to individual characterisation, whether regal or rustic.

 

In February, we took our play to the East Oxford Community Classics Centre at Cheney School. An overview of the performance can be found here:

 

http://eoccc.org.uk/blog/performance-of-euripides-bacchae

 

This performance was part of an outreach initiative: one of our principal aims will always be to introduce and make available classical (and also Renaissance) theatre to a wider community. You can read more about these aims in a piece I completed for the ‘Early Career Academic Outreach Network’ website:

 

https://oxfordearlycareeracademicoutreachnetwork.wordpress.com/

 

DVDs and CDs of the ‘Sparagmos’ are available: please email me for further information. Alternatively, they are available to rent at a few Oxford libraries.

 

Note from David, the Translator

 

As translator and adaptor of verse plays from French, Italian and Ancient Greek, my top priority is always clarity and accessibility. For verse translation I favour rhyming couplets and an easy natural style, avoiding either poetic archaisms or trendy colloquialisms. Above all, no contorted syntax for the sake of the rhyme! My objective is simple, direct language, with the normal intonation of modern English as the basis for the rhythm of the verse. This allows actors to speak their lines with freedom and spontaneity, whilst preserving the rhythmic quality of the original plays. 

My preference for rhyme is inspired by French classical drama where it is the norm.  Rhyming couplets are especially effective for reinforcing the cut and thrust of heated debate or aggressive question and answer.  However, rhymes should not be intrusive, and when not needed for special effects they merge gently into the rhythm. 

My adaptation of Euripides 'Bacchae' condenses this tragedy into a running time of one hour, whilst preserving the essentials of the play within its basic structure of dialogue alternating with sung choral odes. Although rhyme was not a feature of ancient Greek tragedy, it proved invaluable in giving sharpness and clarity to this English version of Euripides' dialogue and the elaborate patterning of his choral odes. 

Poliziano's ‘Orpheus’ posed a special challenge. My verse translation faithfully follows the rhyme schemes of the Italian text, mainly terza rima and stanzas in ottava rima. These require three rhyming words in interlocking verses, which is much easier in Italian than in English! Thanks to the skill of the actors in the ‘Sparagmos’ performance, the audience had a unique opportunity to experience in English the sinuous rhyming and complex cadences of the Italian original.

The whole ‘Sparagmos’ show relied heavily on Ben van Leeuwen's musical score, specially composed for the two plays. With astonishing versatility his vocal and instrumental compositions encompassed  everything from the elaborate choral odes and recitatif of the ‘Bacchae’ , to the haunting solo songs of ‘Orpheus’ , and the final frenzied chanting of the Bacchants. 

At all stages the translation benefitted from the expertise of the Lucy and the actors, as well as Ben, whose music painted the words and emotions with remarkable sensitivity. Such collaboration made ‘Sparagmos’ a truly festive and celebratory occasion. This achieved the aim of these translations, namely that the audience should enter into the spirit of Euripides competing at the Dionysia festival of Athens in 405 BC, and Poliziano contributing to the Italian Renaissance festivities at the court of Mantua in 1480.