October 1, 2022

 

My writing projects have their source in strong emotions, which typically take one of the following two forms.  Shorter pieces (mainly poems) start with a feeling attached to an experience or memory or image or even phrase, that is, they're "lyrical" in the traditional sense of that word, though they not infrequently have a sociopolitical focus.  Longer pieces (mainly essays) tend to begin with a hunch that something I'm drawn to is worth exploring.  Why do I collect vinyl records?  Why does Greek mythology resonate so strongly for me?  Why was I so drawn for so long to Conrad's Heart of Darkness?  What might I discover about myself in those boxes of memorabilia from my 20s?

 

A new hunch-based project has been constellating in my mind for a while now based on Pierrot Lunaire.  At first, I was drawn to Schönberg's famous suite for vocalist and small ensemble, ironically called a "melodrama" -- its emotional timbre is detached and mocking, anything but melodramatic.  I recently purchased a vinyl copy of an older recording conducted by Pierre Boulez, and learned from the liner notes on the back cover that the Commedia dell'Arte figure of Pierrot became a sort of analogue for the artist in the 19th century, the period that was the focus of my doctoral work.  And just like that, my emotional response to Schönberg's piece acquired a subject that was near and dear to me, and the possibility of updating and queering the artist's plight was birthed.  And then I learned of the piece's source, an 1884 collection of 50 poems (fewer than half of which Schönberg set to music) by the Belgian poet Albert Giraud.  Amazon search: an affordable bilingual edition was available (I read French, sort of).  Et voilà!  Surely reading Giraud would give me some ideas for a queered response, which could be in dialogue with it as well as Schönberg.  I just started reading Giraud's collection today.  Beyond a few vague ideas, I'm not sure where this project will go, or even if it will take off.  But I feel certain that at the very least it will be an interesting journey.