Mar 4, 2012

DANCE POEMS

I usually refrain from doing poems to pieces that involve vocal parts to any great extent, because it is my fear that my own linguistic response will be cross-pollinated by the words occurring in the music--which could make for interesting interplay, but not something I'm looking for with the work at this juncture.  However, in the case of the piece below, the "intruding" words are in German so, to a more-or-less non-German speaker, amount to just sounds.  In an attempt to adumbrate the experience of hearing the German libretto and, having a little German (cue German midget a la "Top Secret), recognizing some words, I have translated those words I recognized into English in the body of the embedded libretto (which occurs in the piece at the point at which the vocal part begins relative to the rest of the choreography).


A CHORAL FANTASY
Mark Morris

                                      Photo: Julia Cervantes
 
Firmament                         gloam
                                                margin

                        gyro                        frog


            shuffle



                        prow
                                                droit


            canal

wedge                        shift

                                                disperse

            boomerang

topple
                       
                                                jackstep





jackstep

                        halt



blitz

                        fanfare
                       
                                                encloud
                                                jig
                        game
spar
                                                logjam
sally
            stupa

                                                quadrant
screw
            fulcrum
                        hip
                                                            akimbo


breaker


                                    whither




                                    succumb
in tow
            crane
                        in two


                        prone
                                    montage run

circle triangle cog
                       
                        delta
                        with
pair
            ballast rhythm


                                    quark
                                                go


gauche

            churn ripple
                                    set to walk
                        assembly

freeze
        goes
               behold
                       held
                            above
                                   an hour
                                           hand


intrude
                                    angle            trawl

                                    at the behest
                                    sprechen

puppet                                                                        Schmeichelnd hold & lieblich klingen
                        unseres Lebens harmony,             smack
                                                                        & the Schönheitssinn entschwingen
                                                                        Blumen sich, the ewig blühn.
                                                                        Fried & Freude gleiten friendly
                                                                        wie the Wellen Wechselspiel.
                                    pan drop skitter
                                                Was sich drängte rauh & threatening,
                                                                        ordnet sich zu Hochgefühl.

When the music Zauber walten

                        rainbow                                    & the Wortes Weihe speak,
                                                                        muss sich Herrliches bodies,
                                                                        night & storm werden light.
Äuss're Ruhe, inn're Wonne                                                            massing
                        herrschen for the           
                                                            hairy line                        Glücklichen.

Doch the art Frühlingssonne                                    hull
                                                                        spatter                         lässt aus beiden light entstehn.


twist                                                            Greater, das ins Herz gedrungen,
                                    carry                                                 blüht then new & beautiful empor.
                                                dipper                                     Hat a spirit that aufgeschwungen,
                                                                                    hallt ihm stets a ghostmusic.
                                                                                    Nehmt denn hin, ihr schönen Seelen,
                                                                                    for the Gaben beautiful art
                                                                        Wenn sich Lieb & craft vermählen,

                                    plant                                    lohnt then mankind god’s grace.
                                                plaint


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