Pierrot Lunaire (1962) By Glen Tetley Flashcards
What year was Pierrot Lunaire originally created by Glen Tetley and who was it performed by?
1962 for his own company but wasn’t very successful,
What year was Pierrot Lunaire first performed by Rambert?
1967
What is the subject matter of the work?
A modern reinterpretation of the Commedia Dell’arte characters. Pierrot is an innocent, child-like, moon obsessed clown who progresses through 3 stages of development. First innocence, then loss of innocence, and finally maturity.
What structure is the work?
Episodic
Who are the other two characters Pierrot interacts with?
Columbine and Brighella
What is the aural setting and who by?
A melodrama by Schoenberg, written in 1912. Mainly vocals going up and down in scales
What is the physical setting? Include set, costumes and props
- A 3 tier scaffolding tower positioned upstage centre and a black back drop makes up the set
- Costume: Pierrot’s = white cropped sleeve jacket, cropped trousers, tights, hat, and white face paint
- Costume: Columbine = a transparent white dress with a hooped ring skirt. Arms and legs have sheer white material. Face painted white. Has a washing line as a prop= maternal
- Costume: Brighella = all black, knitted top, arms and legs full black material, black mask draped over his head. 2 long black scarves= spreading his ignorance
Who designed the set?
Rouben Ter-Arutunian
What is the significance and purpose of the tower in this dance?
- represent Pierrot’s safe place
- physcially shows him closer to the moon
- shows his childish behaviours like in a playground
- serves as his home, then his gallows, then his safe haven
What were some of Tetley’s starting points for creating this work?
- working with Martha Graham peaked his interest in working with 3D structures
- semi-autobiographical nature as tower is reference to when he broke his arm in a playground
- modernism= is open to interpretation
- Pierrot was to have a sense of obsession over Columbine= her skin was crystal white like the moon
- Brighella was the dark clown which represented experience= he was burnt by the sun and represents the darker side of humanity
- all the costumes are simplistic but very typical of the characters=reflecting personality and behaviour
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
Movement: Opening of work Pierrot is positioned on the very top of the 3 tier tower and his arms are hooked backwards over the top pole of the power. His legs are bent at the knee behind him, with his torso arched, creating a crescent moon shape. His head is lifted and looking up at the light. He gently rocks forwards and backwards in this position.
Interpretation: this is an instant introduction of Pierrot’s character as he is resembling the moon and its shape, showing his obsession, and it creates a sense of innocence as he is hanging off the bars like a child would do.
Choreographers style: semi-autobiographical element, influence of Graham’s full range of torso, characteristaion of Pierrot, design is an integral element to piece
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
Movement: Pierrot is stood at the very top of the tower and does an arabesque on a rise, elongating his arm forwards looking out beyond the tower, and extending the leg backwards. He then contracts his abdominals and circles his leg in a fan kick, on a bent supporting leg, to rotate him onto the other side to repeat this movement
Interpretation: Shows his innocence as he is reaching out to the rest of the world
Choreographers style: combination of classic ballet technique along with graham contraction and release
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
Movement: Pierrot descends the tower through the multiple layers, staring in amazement at the surrounding world. He gets to the bottom layer and ends in a prone positiion, he pushes up into a cobra position and reaches one arm high above his head. Then holds onto the bar and somersaults forwards into a kneeling position on the ground
Interpretation: Shows his pure innocence. Shows hes childlike through his tumbling down the tower and his wide eyed facial expression
Choreograhers style: Design is integral to portrayal of piece, characterisation, semi-autobiograhical element
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
Movement: Beggining in DSL, he steps onto one leg bringing the other leg up to turned out passe, with the foot not quite touching the knee as he steps out. He extends and circles both arms around the front of his body, then holds onto his head, cupping his hands, as he sharply contracts over the raised leg, repeating this movement 4 times towards DSR.
Interpretation: creating the cresecnt shape once again showing his obsession, holding his head along with sharp contraction could show he is experiencing some sort of physical pain and mental pain.
Choreographers style: Combination of ballet vocab with graham technqiue
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
Movement: Collumbine is stood facing downstage and pierrot is stood opposite facing her. He extends his left arm out and runs his hand up her arm till he reaches her shoulder, and then bends over forward to kiss her hand. She turns around and extends the other arm, and they repeat movement. He then strokes both sides of her face, then reaches out to touch her eyes brining them back in quickly. He then reaches out both hands and holds her breasts, and she suddenly drops her arms, slaps him on the cheek, releases the washing line from the tower and stomps off stage.
Interpretation: Pierrot is completely innocent as no knowledge that it is inappropariate, he’s just curious. He admires her beauty and delicacy. This movement of touching her breasts would have been very forward thinking for the time and wouldnt have been seen before
Choreographers style: Characteristaion of both characters,
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
Movement: Pierrot raises himself up on to the tower facing upstage, then very slowly lowers his head down off the frame, opeing his arms out to th side. He then climbs up the side of the tower until he is hanging upside down, arching his back and curving his legs to create an almost circle shape. At the same time Brighella enters stage with 2 long black pieces of material and moves from a lunge into an arabesque, then extends one leg with a flexed foot, contracting the leg in. He then kicks the leg behind throwing the material out, then flexes the leg and foot to step over, repeating this movement towards stage right.
Interpretation: Shows the contrast of the characters, pierrot is child like and is climbing up the bars of the tower, hanging from it upside down creating curved shapes showing his innocence. Brighella forms harsher lines with the body, and dominates the stage with his material shwoing his confidence.
Choreographers style: design is integral to dance idea, blend of ballet vocab and graham technique through arabesques and extensison and contraction of torso
- what is a movement example from this work
Include the interpretation and how this shows Tetley’s choreographic style
Movement: All 3 dancers end in a static position at the top level of the tower, with Pierrot positioned inbetween Brighella and Columbine. His arms are wrapped around the back of both their shoulders, and his hands and palm up and on the sides of their face, resting on pierrot’s shoulders. His legs are bent and wrapped around the inside leg of the other dancers, and his head is lifted lokking backwards.
Interpretation: Ending with Pierrot back on the tower but with Brighella and Columbine shows his development and progression. It shows maturity and acceptance of Pierrot, and how his experiences and interactions with the other characters has created who he has become
Choreographers style: Design is integral to dance idea, characteristaion
