Festival Theatre
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Rock god
Anna Millar talks to composer and performer Rinde Eckert about his decision to combine contemporary opera, storytelling, rock music and video imagery in Orpheus X for the EIF
he gods are surel} smiling on lidinhurgh this month. as the :\iiierican Repei'tor} 'l'heatre rocks tip to the lidinhurgh
International l-‘estixal \\llll a modern \ersion ol
the ( )rpheus in} tli.
'l‘hc hrainchild ol' master perlormer and ma\erick musician Rinde lickert. ()rpheus .\' \\ ill see the age—old tale morph into a let centur} epic as ()rpheus. the unhapp) god ol music is updated to rock star status in iiiodern-da} .-\iiierica. heguiling not \xith his l_\re htit rather \\ ith the rills l'i‘om his electric guitar.
Re\ie\\ers ha\e ol'ten commented on lickert‘s imposing stage presence. \sith one ['8 critic relerring to him as a 'good deal like an o\et'gro\\n ell demanding attention’. llappil}. he |i\ es tip to his reputation. as he emerges. a shin} hald head aho\e the throngs ol those milling in the .\'e\\ York cale \\ here \se meet to discuss his latest opus.
With a reputation as a \ isionai') and something ol a maxerick in the lield ol' classical music.
lickert tltlltltls IU leeling it health} ‘sense ol
ltllsc‘lllelu \shene\er he is let loose on :1 c‘lttssle te\t.
‘l'm essentiall} a relugee li‘om opera] he sa}s “ith a \\l'_\ smile. settling do\\n to a decal latte. ‘l lo\ e the sum ol its paits hut onl} on in} o\\tl terms. I think that so olten as a stoi'}telling genre it lacks an} iron}. so \xhen I take on an} ne\\ project I think: "What \\ill interest me'.’ \\'here can I go \\ith this?" In the case ol ()I'ltlieiis X. I just thought: "(ireek m}ths are like elephants; the} demand attention". It seemed like a good challenge lor me.‘
Reimented to rellect a modern age rile \xith
96 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE .‘ - is . i i. 5-1
disenchantment and disillusionment and set \ei'} much against the current climate ol celehrit) ohsession. lickert hopes to htiild on the success ol his last lull—scale production \\llll the MU. in 3003. .'\s c‘tiillpo\c‘i' and \\i'iler ol the a\\ard» \xinning lli'g/iii'iii' Ilium. his update ol llomer's epic pleased hoth critics and puhlic alike.
'lli'g/ni‘iii' has something that iust e\o|\ed and \torked; a similar thing is happening \\llll ()i'p/ieus.~ he sa_\ s.
.\'e\er one to make lile eas} lor hiinsell ior occasionall} his audiencel. lickcrt intends to del} e\pectations ol \\ll;tl a comentional hero should he than the start. lle e\plains: ‘I tend to not reall} like heroes in general; lil_\ gut instinct is to hi'iiig them doon a notch or l\\o. I did
Romeo (HH/ .lii/i'ei once and lound li\e \\;i)s ol
totall} trashing Romeo. I liked the idea ol reall} looking at the celehrit} \sorld he inhahits and seeing the realit) he creates lor himsell and that “lilell he has inflicted on llillt. He is essentiall} quite a horing character liistoricall} speaking. and I named to pla} on that and lta\c some luii \\ ith it.‘
l'nlike the ()rpheus ol the source material. lickei't‘s hero is mourning not the death ol his one hut rather that ol a stranger. a poet named liui'_\ dice. \\ ho dies in his arms alter heing struck h_\ a cah. llis lile suddenl} shattered and strangel} allected h} the loss ol someone he iie\ er reall_\ kneu. ()rpheus struggles to liiid meaning in his e\istence. Determined to hi'ing hack this ma} he muse. ()rpheus goes to llades \\ here he liltillug‘cW Ill persuade l’el'seplltille. (‘IllL‘L‘ll tll~ IlIL‘ Dead. [H release lltll‘} dice [H the
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‘THE WHOLE IDEA OF A PIECE LIKE THIS IS TO OPEN THE GATES OF INTERPRETATION AS WIDE AS POSSIBLE'
\soi'ld ol the still ll\ iiig.
llc sa_\s: ~l looked around toil.i_\\ soclct} and so much ol it is this lioi‘i'ilicalh laiigliahle allaii ol moiic_\ aiid e\cess. I |o\ed the idea ol stripping that right hack and looking at \\ll;tl happens to someone \xlio thinks the} lime e\ei‘_\tliiiig and then realises tlie_\ lia\e iiotliiiig at all.
Hacked h_\ a tour piece haiid. lzckei‘t's scoic \xill. lie sa}s. incorporate e\ci"\tliing lroiii poo er hallads through to rock arias. '\\'lien \ke looked at the original slot}. the rock star thing caiiie iiiuiicdialcl) to mind e\en tliotigli it can appear cliclied.‘ lie sa_\s. 'llut that is not the hegiiiiiiiig and end ol the slum. \l_\ ioh is ahout putting that element together \\ itli the more classic traditions ol stoi‘_\tclling to create something trul_\ unique.
‘( )l course people are going to tr} and [llL'L‘Hll ltolc it atid sa_\ it's a rock opera or a rock iiitisicalf he continues. ‘huI the \xholc idea ol a piece like [his is to open the gates ol interpretation as wide as possihle. merging as iiian_\ dillerent sounds and creating as man} lll\ellll\e \c'elitil‘ltis ;i\ [Mlssllile I“ make it complete picce.‘
her in pursuit ol a spectacle. multimedia aspccts will also he sprinkled throughout his \lIH\\ lrom o\ei'licad projections to \ ideo loops.
‘lt‘s simpl} ahoiit iiiiaginationf sa}s lackert. tll'dllllllg‘ llle lttsl (ll llls collee. 'llis tthltll tls tr_\ing to create something where the audience can come along. strip theiiisel\cs ol expectation and simpl} cnio} it.’
Orpheus X, Royal Lyceum Theatre, 25-29 August, 8pm, 9210-225.