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The fullness of the words of the poet, the static form of the pianist’s ode – these are portals into the fluid sculpture that speech and music create in the physical space of our world.
For the fortunate attendees of the premier of Touched Twice, the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble’s new program, those portals were flung wide open, enlightening all who entered.
And entering one could not resist.The program began with an intense and rousing piece the Adagio for Violion and Piano by Kodaly, immediately drawing the viewer into what would become a sweeping drama of yearning and gratitude.
In the first half of the program, the spoken word of poets such as Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, and Huerta was beautifully matched to music from Ginastera.The interplay between speech and voice, piano and violin, color and movement was so exquisitely presented as to leave the viewer unaware that time was passing.
It was the last piece before intermission, however, that stole the breath away.In a series of four movements from Sonata for Violin and Piano by Fazil Say, the ensemble reached inside the souls of the viewers and literally drew them into the now-visible beauty of the world of sound.To say that we had been touched would be a gross understatement.
Following the intermission, a moving offering of the Japanese folk tale “The Crane Maiden” was beautifully spoken and moved, with the expertise of the eurythmists evidenced in their close attention to the stylized, graceful beauty of Japanese culture.Again, a spell was cast as the audience was drawn into the story with the addition of simple, traditional Japanese instruments and the noble portrayal of the crane.
For the final piece, the ensemble offered a solid and powerful series of movements to Mary Oliver’s “From the West Wind” interwoven with a superbly chosen Fratres for Violin and Piano 1 by Arvo Paert.This resulted in a stunning marriage of music, movement, and poetry, a marriage that successfully demonstrated the capacity of eurythmy to reveal “that, which is partly hidden.”
For the members of the ensemble, the theme of being touched twice was prevalent in their choice of music and poetry, and their accompanying choreography revealed a finely attuned ability to unveil the visual truth of the sounds – melodic and vocal – that filled the performance hall.Harmony was achieved and the audience was rewarded with a brief yet powerful glimpse of the sublime.
Austin
In "Voices of the Hereafter" the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble is at its best- this group has achieved a level of maturity that clearly manifests in this powerful program. The costumes are vibrant, the movement is precise, the music, stories and poetry are rich and enlivening. Light, color, sound, movement... the experience of bathing in a sea of sensations created by the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble will live within me for a long, long time.
- Kathy McElveen, Austin
Vancouver
The visit of the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble to Vancouver made for fresh and lively performances. Most vivid in my memory is the Northwest Coast Native story "Why Raven is no longer". The drama and costuming were superb. The members of the troupe move as one with precision, grace and that element of risk needed if Eurythmy is to unveil within the present moment the becoming of each and all of us.
- Philip Thatcher, author of Raven's Eye
Sacramento
We had the pleasure to attend your performance of "Voices of the Hereafter" in Sacramento. My wife and I were both very impressed. Thank you so very much for bringing this wonderfully perfected Eurythmy performance to Sacramento! We have experienced the big changes in style and execution over the decades and thus we really appreciate your artistic accomplishments. You have worked out a program that is easily accessible and we are sure that a program like the one you presented here will open many doors and will arouse a lot of interest.
-Uwe Stave, M.D., Sacramento
Spring Valley, NY
Desert flowers bloom rarely but brilliantly. We hardly ever see them in New York! The Austin Eurythmy Ensemble's rare tour to the East Coast, like the desert flower, unfurled in full beauty with an evening performance at the Three Fold Auditorium.
Colorful, spicy, warm, sun-filled - as the landscape in Texas, so the Ensemble poured out its vast, wonderful works. The sequence of poetry by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Archibald Macleish and music by five contemporary composers appeared to be chosen with exquisite care.
The theme, which gratifyingly, proved true throughout the evening, was an awakening out of the world of the senses to the many-colored inner flame of spirit. Within this unspoken theme played an emotional journey from the darkest depths to great climaxes of joy and delicacy. Rendered through very, very finely wrought eurythmy, their path toward the ideal of making the invisible, visible became clear.
Ensemble members include highly accomplished pianist Anthony Tobin; speech artist Katherine Thivierge, with her powerful, expressive warm voice; and eurythmists Barbara Bresette-Mills. Jolanda Frischknecht, Andrea Weder and Markus Weder, all of whom worked as eurythmists in Spring Valley before founding the ensemble in Texas. Jack Mills offered his indispensable meticulous support as lighting technician. Our thanks to all for bringing this inspiring, renewing gift to our stage.
- Beth Usher, Eurythmist
East Bay Waldorf School
"The fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin, performed with music by Bela Bartok was brought to life for the kindergartens and younger grades. This show of color, movement, well-played piano music, and the warm narration and recitation mesmerized the children. They responded with awe, laughter, and spontaneous applause.
The show for grades four through eight included poetry - some humorous, some dramatic - as well as music by Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and variations on the state hymn of Texas. The artistic quality of the performance, the precision of movement, and the incredible effects of the changing colors created by the professional lighting system captured even those students not too fond of eurythmy classes.
The visit was a nourishing experience for the students and an eye opener as to what eurythmy can be. This enrichment of the students' sensory experience and deepening of their connection with the spoken word and music, work hand in hand with the Waldorf teacher's main goal: to support the feeling life of the child."
"What is eurythmy? We had another opportunity to answer that question by attending the program of the Austin Eurythmy Ensemble on Saturday night. What to watch, how to watch, how to listen, how to integrate everything in the performance, these are big questions for even experienced eurythmists and eurythmist observers. With The Austin Ensemble, one could leave all these questions in the background and simply feel awash in the wonderful music, resonant speech, glorious colors, and beautifully coordinated, artistic movement. Of all the aspects of this group which is paramount in my memory, it is the truly ensemble quality of the group's work. Everything they brought was carefully and delicately woven together to illuminate the poetry and music. Nothing was arbitrary or random. Even the lighting was a very important artistic element of the whole. Though not all the questions may have been answered, what a delightful evening we experienced."
