Reaktor
Geblergasse 36/40, 1170 Vienna
Thomas Cornelius Desi
Venus in Furs
At the origin of masochism
A man asks to be subjugated. A woman agrees - under conditions.
Sacher-Masoch's scandalous novella from 1870 is still the best-known text of the Austrianauthor. As a name donor for the masochism, he thus laid the foundation for a psychological view of sexual deviance. At the centre of the action is Severin on the Sufor a realisation of his sexual fantasies. But more than the details of these fantasies This production is about the question of what relationships in sexual terms and how they are power and consent.
Accompanied by the sweet sounds of the Waltz King Johann Strauss, who once even performed at the venue of this première with his ball ensemble.
Director and composer Thomas C. Desi:
"Technological progress and social alienation are already reflected in the sexual life of the "Belle Epoque" as a bizarre flipside in operetta.
Sacher-Masoch could have suggested a libretto to Johann Strauss. This initial mind game makes music the godfather of masochism, instead of the image-bound aestheticism of Romanticism, brings listening as an "autonomous sensory meridian response" (ASMR) and as a tactile experience into the theatre."
A production of the Musiktheatertage Wien
ZERO
Credits
Libretto, composition and staging: Thomas Cornelius Desi
With:
Bibiana Nwobilo (soprano), Günter Haumer (baritone), Paul Schweinester (tenor), Gilbert Handler (extended voice), the Ballensemble Ortner, Igor Groß (percussion instruments), Thomas Neulichedl (electric guitar) | Spatial concept and exhibition: RUST AG (Rupprecht/Steixner) | Production management: Thomas Neulichedl | Assistant director: Jonas Nikolai
Bios
THOMAS CORNELIUS DESI is an Austrian composer, author and director as well as co-founder and artistic director of the MUSIKTHEATERTAGE WIEN. In numerous productions, Desi has developed a new music theatre as a "théâtre d'auteur". At the centre of this work is the individual and the consequences of their actions. From this, Desi developed the format of a "theatre of encounter". Inspired by the work of Jakob L. Moreno, the interaction of the audience through poetics and aesthetics enables those present to relate individually to each other and to the theme of the piece.
Desi was musical director of "Totales Theater Wien", ensemble KlangArten and artistic director of the music theatre group ZOON. His book "The New Music Theatre", co-authored with Eric Salzman, has become a standard work on new music theatre.