The Barbarians
The Barbarians, commissioned by the Museum of Old and New Art, is an immersive and remarkable new opera by Constantine Koukias, inspired by the iconic Greek Alexandrian poet Constantine Cavafy. Performed in modern Greek with bilingual narration, the opera is the product of a large collaboration of designers, musicians and singers, with a Greek Chorus of ten men.
18-22 January, 2012 at MONA FOMA – ticket/event info here
Otherness is a central theme of Constantine Cavafy’s poem Waiting for the Barbarians; written in 1904, it is one of Cavafy’s most important works. The poem echoes the dramatic traditions of Ancient Greek Theatre and resonates with today’s eco-political environment.
The Barbarians, (poem and opera) is structured as a series of both questions and answers (why – because) and reflects on the timeless elements of the State (the emperor, consuls, politicians), the Polis (the chorus, community), and in referring to the Barbarians (the others) how we deal with hope, fear and uncertainty.
Cavafy drew his themes from personal experience, the depths of history and mythology. Though he was not always comfortable with his role as nonconformist, he critically examined aspects of Christianity, patriotism, politics and homosexuality.
The opera explores the many contradictions of Cavafy’s life, the labyrinth of political correctness across the ages and the impact of his sometimes radical ideas.
- Constantine Koukias 2011
|
Constantine Cavafy |
Text |
|
Constantine Koukias |
Music & Direction |
|
Peta Heffernan & Elvio Brianese |
Production Designers |
|
Athanasia Houndalas |
Advisor & Greek Transliteration |
|
Christos Linou |
Choreographer |
|
Jason James |
Lighting & Special Effects |
|
Donald Bate |
Music Director & Pre Recorded Tape Designer |
|
Carl Higgs |
Digital video projection design |
|
Greg Gurr |
Sound Design |
|
Michael Bullock |
Production Manager |
|
Kristen Molhuysen |
Project Manager |
|
Robin Riley |
Chorus Leader Costume Design |
|
Werner Ihlenfeld |
Pyrotechnician |
|
Rita Houndalas |
Design Assistant |
|
Lotte Kronborg |
In-Kind Sponsorship |
|
Mark Cornelius |
Installation artist - Final Sequence |
|
Dianna Graf |
Installation artist - Final Sequence |
|
Elizabeth Monaghan |
Principals Costume Designer & Fabricator |
|
Natalie Holtsbaum |
Chorus Wardrobe Designers |
|
Ella Knight |
Chorus Wardrobe Designers |
|
Lyndall Edwards |
Assistant Director – Stage |
|
Chris Jackson |
Assistant Director - Technical & Chorus |
|
Caroline Flood |
Production Liaison |
|
Nicholas Dinopoulos |
The Poet – Bass-Baritone |
|
Grace Ovens |
The Woman – Soprano |
|
Ayrton Rose |
The Poet Youth – Boy Alto |
|
Athanasia Houndalas |
Chorus Leader |
|
Christos Linou |
The Man |
Chorus: Daniel Cugliari, Callum Doyle–Scott, Oliver Gathercole, John Gunter, Tim Hurd, Jon Lenthell, Ben Peelman, Joshua Santospirito, Kyle Smith, and Zach Wells.
| Don Bate | Music Director |
| Gary Wain | Percussion |
| Tracey Patten | Percussion |
| Simone Walters | Bassoon / Contra Bassooon |
| Clarissa Zhang | Keyboards |
| Dee Boyd | Trumpet |
| Yue-Hong Cha | Violin |
| Jane Baker | Drumming and Improvising |
Project Manager: Kristen Molhuysen
Production Manager: Michael Bullock
Assistant Director: Stage Lyndall Edwards
Assistant Director: Technical & Chorus Chris Jackson
Production Liaison: Werner Ihlenfeld & Caroline Flood
Chorus Costume Fabricator: Elizabeth Monaghan
Design Assistant: Rita Houndalas
Box Head Fabricators: James Vaughan
Assistant Stage Manager: Josephine Giles
Pyro-technician: Werner Ihlenfeld
Lighting Operator: Jason James
Sound Operator: Greg Gurr
Digital Video Projection Operator: Carl Higgs
Production Assistants: Patrick Denell & Caroline Flood
Production Accounts: Sonja Kingston
What are we waiting for assembled as one in the market place?
It is the barbarians who are coming today.
Why in the Senate is there such lethargy?
Why do the Senators sit without legislating?
Because the barbarians are coming today.
What laws will the Senators now make?
The barbarians once here, will legislate.
Why has our emperor risen so very early this morning,
and why does he sit waiting by the city’s main gate
upon his throne, solemn, in state, wearing the crown?
Because the barbarians are coming today.
And the emperor is waiting to receive
their leader. Indeed, he has even prepared
a scroll to give him.
Therein he inscribed
many titles and honourable names.
Why have our two supreme consuls and the praetors come out
today in their scarlet, their embroidered togas?
Why do they wear bracelets with so many amethysts,
and rings sparkling with brilliant glittering emeralds?
Why today do they carry priceless canes
elegantly worked in silver and gold?
Because the barbarians are coming today
and things such as these dazzle the barbarians.
=
Why don’t our distinguished orators come forward as always
to make their speeches, and say what they have to say?
Because the barbarians are coming today
and they’re bored with eloquence and oratorial harangue.
Why all of a sudden such restlessness
and why this confusion?
(How serious people’s faces have become).
Why do the streets and squares empty so very quickly,
with everyone returning to their homes so lost in thought?
Because night has fallen and the barbarians have not yet come.
And some, just returned from the borders,
they said that
the barbarians are no longer.
__
And now, what of our genesis without barbarians?
These people, they were a solution of sorts.
Waiting for the Barbarians, Constantine Cavafy 1904
Translation by Athanasia Houndalas
The Australian, 24 January 2012 [Link] / [PDF Download]
The Tasmanian Times 23 January 2012 [Link] / [PDF Download]