Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Karl Aage Rasmussen
Majakovsky (1978)
- Edition Wilhelm Hansen Copenhagen (World)
- 1.0.1.0/0.0.0.0/perc/pf/gtr/str(1.0.0.1.0)
- 2 Baritones [7 singers]
- 1 hr
- Vladimir Majakovsky
Programme Note
A "Scenic concert-piece" in two Acts. Based on the play "Vladimir Majakovskij" (1913) by Vladimir Majakovskij.
This piece is intended to be performed with (mechanical) puppets impersonating all characters in the piece except the main character of Majakovskij himself. However, a performance with live singers impersonating one or more of the other characters is possible.
In a performance with puppets all the singing parts of the puppets are intended to be sung by one and the same singer. The puppets are originally intended to be mechanical and to some extend to be operated by the musicians, each character being associated with a certain instrument. In the first staging this was solved by making the puppets movable by means of foot-pedals which could be operated by the musicians while playing. Thus the dramaturgic idea became that of a character being impersonated by a "trinity" of a puppet, a singer and a musician. To symbolize poverty being "manipulated" the musicians wore frack.
The instruments are distributed as follows:
Very old man: 'cello
Man without an eye and a leg': percussion
Man without an ear: EL-guitar
Man with a prolonged face: flute
Ordinary young man: violin
Three women with tears: clarinet
Man with two kisses: piano
Man without head: impers. by singer
Majakovskij's female friend: mute role
(the man without an eye and leg is intended to be a "glove-puppet" operated by the singer).
Other "characters" (girls, boys, the crowd etc.) are conjured up by purely theatrical means, i.e. tape, participation of musicians etc.
The surrealistic, dream-like atmosphere of the piece allows for a variety of other solutions, director and set designer should feel no limitation whatsoever in this respect.
- K.Aa.R.
This piece is intended to be performed with (mechanical) puppets impersonating all characters in the piece except the main character of Majakovskij himself. However, a performance with live singers impersonating one or more of the other characters is possible.
In a performance with puppets all the singing parts of the puppets are intended to be sung by one and the same singer. The puppets are originally intended to be mechanical and to some extend to be operated by the musicians, each character being associated with a certain instrument. In the first staging this was solved by making the puppets movable by means of foot-pedals which could be operated by the musicians while playing. Thus the dramaturgic idea became that of a character being impersonated by a "trinity" of a puppet, a singer and a musician. To symbolize poverty being "manipulated" the musicians wore frack.
The instruments are distributed as follows:
Very old man: 'cello
Man without an eye and a leg': percussion
Man without an ear: EL-guitar
Man with a prolonged face: flute
Ordinary young man: violin
Three women with tears: clarinet
Man with two kisses: piano
Man without head: impers. by singer
Majakovskij's female friend: mute role
(the man without an eye and leg is intended to be a "glove-puppet" operated by the singer).
Other "characters" (girls, boys, the crowd etc.) are conjured up by purely theatrical means, i.e. tape, participation of musicians etc.
The surrealistic, dream-like atmosphere of the piece allows for a variety of other solutions, director and set designer should feel no limitation whatsoever in this respect.
- K.Aa.R.