The chorus reformation in modern performances of Ancient Greek tragedy after 1945 : The Suppliants (1964) of Iannis Xenakis and The Persians (1965) of Jani Christou
La reformation du chœur dans les représentations modernes de la tragédie grecques après 1945 : Les Suppliantes (1964) de Iannis Xenakis et Les Perses (1965) de Jani Christou.
Résumé
Staging an ancient Greek tragedy in modern times and writing music for a modern performance are very stimulating tasks. The challenges arise from the tragedy’s poetic form, the exceptional role of the chorus, the theatrical space, the translation and adaptation of the original ancient Greek text and our limited knowledge of its production in ancient times, especially on the staging and musical accompaniment. However, these restrictions can be overcome in a unique manner every time, depending on the director’s and composer’s aesthetic points of view. In Greek modern performances after 1945, the chorus becomes a vehicle of musical innovation that provides a new impetus to the interpretation of the Greek tragedy. Among numerous examples in which the Greek chorus reveals various aesthetic approaches, this paper will focus on Iannis Xenakis’s music for The Suppliants (1964) and Jani Christou’s score for The Persians (1965). These works display a very original concept of the chorus’s treatment which influenced contemporary musical expression in the ‘60s.
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