Alain Platel's quest for embodied salvation : a musical perspective on C(H)OEURS

Alain Platel's choreography C(H)OEURS employs excerpts from operas by Verdi and Wagner to deal with questions of revolution, mass movement and individuality. Drawing on the musicological distinction between music as drastic or gnostic (in the terms of Carolyn Abbate), the analysis focuses on the creative tension between the use of musical pieces as neutral "found objects" and their implicit meaning as intended in their original context. The analysis arrives at the conclusion that the original meaning of the operatic excerpts remains relevant in their new setting. Through the use of opera highlights, the traditional notions of redemption and salvation are redefined through Platel's radically embodied vision.

ISBN:9781350080010

Publication year:2020

Accessibility:Closed