In Western civilization, the category of „the feminine“ has traditionally been viewed as a foreign, even subversive element in the sociocultural realm and has, throughout history, been controlled and marginalised by various societal strategies. A feminist revisioning of history reveals not only the complicated process by which women have internalised stereotypically male standards and images of „the feminine“ - resulting in the theoretical construction of a „second“ or „weaker“ sex - but also resistance to the idea of „the feminine“ as a mute voice.
WOMEN'S SADNESS is the first part of a feminist musical project whose narrative form is a women's song. It is the story of „her voice“, once silenced but now heard again, a voice searching for understanding and knowledge of the feminine self.
This is a feminist musical reflection which resonates with foundational texts of different eras. The first two texts contain certain medieval constructions of „the feminine“ with which women deeply identified, even if they did not themselves create those ideals. The subtle but subversive „feminine element“ is exemplified in THE PRAYER OF ABBESS KUNHUTA, based on the text of a mystical hymn from the late Gothic period. This medieval prayer is an expression of Czech religious lyric poetry with roots in the Marian Cult, which acknowledged women's spiritual role in the attainment of human salvation. The opening of the angelic greeting AVE MARIA, often put to music, expresses a similar medieval construction of femininity.
The laborious birth of a different, modern conception of „the feminine“ is conveyed in THE KISS OF THE SNAKE ACIDS, set to a poem from Sylvia Plath's collection Ariel. It expresses an acute sense of isolation. A more recent idea of „the feminine“, one which is „written“ bodily, is represented by the poem TO THINK WITH THE BODY, from the Czech-Italian poet Katerina Sagrego's collection Variations in Composition.
WOMEN'S SADNESS expresses an „autochtonous femininity“ through a deliberate exploration of traditionally scorned or neglected „non-musical“ aspects of women's speech: emotions, corporality, libido and chaos. This „autochtonous feminine“ is also portrayed in the vocal improvisations of THE SONG OF GODDESS TIAMAT. Contrary to the customary musical tectonics and against the prevailing phallocentric order, this type of improvisation gives space to another voice, „her voice“, one which expresses unstable emotions, subtle tremors, frail moods, yet also tormented sobs and expressive cries, a voice which portends a new type of feminist order.
|
|
CARMINA FEMINA
is forthcoming.
| Mezzo-soprano & femino-soprano Edita Adlerova Musical weving & embroidery Mirka Vodrazkova Photos: Kamil Varga Graphic design: Bara Turkova Translation: Eva Vesinova, Anna Vanickova, Michael Kilburn |
 Production & Distribution:g. parrot Krenova 17 162 00 Prague 6 Czech Republic tel.: +420 - 2 - 20 61 15 37 e-mail: g.parrot@seznam.cz Recorded November 1998 "At the Big Tree" - Orza project |