The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1912–1918

GA 277a — 30 August 1915, Dornach

The Apollonian Course XIII

The topic of this lesson was the representation on stages for the main character and “subordinate character(s)” or choir or choirs. As an example of such a presentation, Rudolf Steiner chose the beginning of the seventh scene from his first mystery drama, The Portal of Initiation, also known as the “Devachan scene,” with Mary and the three soul forces Philia, Astrid, and Luna. The scene was created as an example but was not performed at that time. For the sake of clarity, Rudolf Steiner's general remarks on this type of presentation are placed at the beginning here, although some of them come from the lesson given the next day (August 31, 1915). There, the topic was continued and expanded upon from a new perspective—namely, the presentation on steps in terms of superordinate and subordinate thoughts. References were also given as to which texts could be presented in this way. Originally, therefore, a concrete example was given first – the seventh scene from the first Mystery Drama – before Rudolf Steiner moved on to the general.

Following the explanations on the “Devachan scene,” a somewhat earlier elaboration by Tatiana Kisseleff is documented. In the later elaboration of 1923, the Mercury prelude was performed to music by Leopold var der Pals.

Representation on three levels – using the example of the seventh picture from the “Gate of Initiation”

The dancing of poems and dramas can now take place in various ways. Often, one main character and three subordinate characters appear, or one main character and three choir leaders. One or more choirs can always be added. For example, scenes such as [the seventh picture of] “The Portal of Initiation” can be presented in the following way:

Maria appears as the main character, alongside Philia, Astrid, and Luna. Three stages:

This scene begins with Mercury [the Mercury seal] (somewhat simplified in the dance).

Maria above, the three soul forces arranged in stages (Philia — upper stage, Astrid — middle stage, Luna — lower stage)

Maria

Eurythmically harmoniously developed Maria, who speaks her words herself at the top of the first circle.

Mary does the concrete and abstract and time words (forward and backward) and the vowels i, u (as in as) and a. She expresses spiritually: call, longing, communication, knowledge

in — call, u longing, a communication or knowledge.

But no more vowels than indicated, three movements. The u can also be made as a touch by Maria, as in aum.

When I tried to work out Maria with the doctor, we made very few forms, e.g., the first two lines a concrete angle, the third an abstract form. [...] I only remember that [Rudolf Steiner] said about the gestures i a u for the main character: “It is possible to perform actions within these sounds, e.g., Elektra's sacrificial acts.” The doctor wanted to try this scene with me. But unfortunately, there was not enough time at the time.

Dr. on the board: i — call; u — longing; a — communication or insight.

Philia

Try to bring the whole thing into a response, into a response movement. Fulfillment toward Maria. Vocal movements, keep them as high as possible, and add a choir to do the consonants. // Response – fulfillment, towards Maria (behind), she [Philia] forms all the vowels, the choir adds the consonants (upwards) // A kind of response, the three are the choir, the fulfillment goes towards Maria. Philia vocal movements

Astrid

Again, fulfillment movements, but a little further down with [the] arms like Philia. Astrid vocal-consonantal, the choir is left with [what she doesn't do. // Response - fulfillment. Movement towards Maria, in the middle, she [Astrid] forms the vowels and can choose the consonants, the choir forms the remaining consonants. // Fulfillment movements, interweaving, vocal with consonant. Discuss with the choir which consonants she leaves to them.

Luna

Fulfillment at the very bottom, consonant. Leave the vowels to the choir. // Completely consonant. Leaves vowels to choir. // Response — fulfillment. Movement toward Maria, downward, she forms the consonants, the choir adds the vowels.

The movements of the three soul members only in two dimensions. Think of the body as divided into three planes.

This is how the figures stand before you in the spiritual-real. // This is how you create from the spiritual-real.

Mary expresses fulfillment towards the three.

Mary to Philia follows: "a-movement + call (high)

Maria to Astrid: a-movement, call more downward, a little deeper down

Maria to Luna: a-movement even more downward, all the way down.

In what follows, Maria makes the movement of fulfillment toward the three. “The call of the severely tested penetrates,” to be treated as insight.

Philia: Head posture: Feeling

Astrid: Head posture: Thinking. All movements in the middle plane.

Luna: Head posture: Will

Philia: She moves in Apollonian forms. Head back up. Astrid: Head bowed. Forms Luna: Forms. Head straight ahead

I personally always try to make it clear that Philia, Astrid, and Luna are not identical with the originally given head postures for thinking, feeling, and willing. Dr. Steiner never spoke of zones in connection with thinking, feeling, and willing, but rather for the objective spiritual beings that mediate the connection of the human soul forces with the cosmos. As I have already emphasized explicitly with regard to the forms for thinking, feeling, and willing, Dr. Steiner never associated these three human soul forces with Philia, Astrid, and Luna, neither in Bottmingen nor in the last eurythmy course. How, for example, would you express pain or tension or longing in the Philia zone?

Rudolf Steiner's notes in “The Gate of Initiation” (RSB St 40)

i u a / Call i/ Longing u / Knowledge a / Communication a / Call i/ Longing u / Communication a / Longing u / Call i

Call i / Communication u / Call i in the other arm / hold high / Communication a / Call i deep / Response movement vocal movement / Deep vocal consonant movement

Consonant fulfillment / Call a

Call a

Fulfillment Knowledge

Comments by Marie Steiner, Mieta Waller, and Tatiana Kisseleff

Maria: You, my sisters, who [Express the soulfulness of the call in the first line (with i)]
So often you were my helpers,
Be so also in this hour, [MW] the call movement
That I may let the world ether [Movement of longing — from u-i] Let it tremble within itself.
[...]
And you too, Astrid, my spirit [call, holding it high in the other arm] Beloved mirror image,
Create dark power [call]
In the flowing light,
That it may shine in colors.
[...]
Become the soul seeker.

Thus a very harmoniously crafted Mary.

Philia (arm raised) tries to do the whole thing in a response movement, like a fulfillment of Mary. Vocal movement. A choir makes a consonant movement to accompany it.

Philia: I want to fulfill myself
[...]
The work can succeed.

Astrid - Fulfillment movement continuing downward. Interwoven vocally and consonantly, but not everything. The choir does what she does not do.

Astrid: I want to interweave
[...]
Guide the rays of the soul.

Luna - Fulfillment at the very bottom. Consonant. The choir vocal.

Luna: I want to warm the substance of the soul
[...]
Of knowledge, create security.

Maria — everything Call: a. Three distinctions. Philia, Astrid, Luna as before

Maria: From Philia's realms [TK: a above]
May joy flow;
And the changing powers of the mermaids, [Gradually she goes deeper and deeper down.]
[...]
From Astrid's weaving [TK: a little deeper down]
[...]
From Luna's power [TK: all the way down]
In the weaving of souls,
In the life of the world. Philia:
I want to ask the spirits of the world,
[...] Astrid:
I want the streams of love,
[...] Luna:
I want from the elemental forces
[...] Maria:
With you, sisters, [fulfill yourselves, go to the three] United in noble work,
I will succeed
In what I long for.
The call penetrates [treat everything as knowledge]
Of the severely tested
Into our world of light.

Mercury prelude

This representation can be preceded by a prelude, here especially the Mercury prelude [Mercury seal] is suitable (somewhat simplified in dance). // This includes Mercury as a prelude.

Mercury is particularly suitable where messengers appear. // Mercury prelude for such representations that contain a message or description of the spiritual world.

Mercury / Luna = threefold snake movement / Maria, Philia, Astrid

One makes the outer circle — walks around and hints at the Marian motif. The three vowels and the call and recognition movement.

Maria makes movements, accompanied only by music.

At the same time, they walk

Philia — the outer arcs around and makes her movement
Astrid — the rays back and forth
Luna — around Astrid, the twists back and forth (threefold serpent)

[Like] a main motif and three secondary motifs in music.

Philia blue. Astrid green. Luna red. Maria white.

General information on the representation of the main character and choir

Suitable for this type of portrayal are translations, scenes from Aeschylus' dramas, those in which the choruses are not dissolved. Sophocles' dramas, Schiller's Bride of Messina, etc. are scenes in which there is one main role and several secondary roles (Schiller makes extensive use of psychological observation). The middle person or persons act like Maria.

Some of Goethe's poems, which can be adapted for festive purposes, are also scenes with one main role and several supporting roles. In Goethe's “God and the World,” it is particularly important to use the concrete and the abstract, as in the scene described from “The Gate of Initiation.”

In Greek dramas (Aeschylus), there is always a main character and a chorus. Main character: vowels ;, a, #. No consonants. All conjunctions, prepositions, all states of mind (pain and joy, concrete and abstract) can be performed by the main character. Any sacrificial acts that occur are also performed by the main characters.

The servant interprets. // The chorus expresses what fills the middle person. // The chorus does what the main character does not do. // The chorus makes letters, vowels and consonants, the concrete and the abstract, the states of mind.

That is the secret of the Greek chorus, that it expresses what moves the middle character, // what fills the middle character.

The large chorus is usually divided into two groups, // the chorus can be divided into chorus and counter-chorus. The choruses then stand slightly recessed, the characters elevated.

The Greeks had these movements. As a spoken drama, it was not beautiful; it was a blaring and trumpeting. Only through emotional involvement was it appropriate to the content.

Performance of the “Devachan Scene” April 1915

In the Easter program of April 4, 1915, in addition to the first scene from Faust 1 (Study Room) and other singing and eurythmy performances, the seventh scene from “The Fortress of Initiation” was also performed. Marie Steiner recited, and Tatiana Kisselejf portrayed all three soul forces, each ‘changing the veil for each soul force. In reference to this, Tatiana Kisselef noted in the galley proofs: 'T. K. received these forms for her personal work in the summer of 1914.’

Another type of representation for the same scene (performed on April 4, 1915).

Maria recites or vocalizes while standing. The three soul forces in this position.

Philia vocal - standing
Astrid consonantal – in motion
Luna vowels and consonants in motion. (-v-|--|-v-|--)
Luna: vowels and consonants in amphimacer, performing spondee rhythms on the specified form -v-|--| v-|-- etc., back and forth. Maria: yellow. Philia: white dress, light green veil; Astrid: white dress, purple veil; Luna: white dress, violet veil.

Further notes relating to this scene

The extent to which the following notes by Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner are directly related to the seventh picture from the “Forty Days of Initiation” is uncertain. However, as they belong in the broader context, they are documented here.

Maria a to 1/3 / Maria o in the 2nd third / Maria i in the 3rd third // A Luna u a m / Astrid a u m / Philia: i o a

Program for the performance on August 30, 1915, 7 p.m., Dornach

Exact repetition of the program from August 29, 1915 [see p. 348]

[The following remarks on the performance of the Mercury prelude before the depiction of the Devachan scene were found in the preliminary galley proofs but were not included in the final edition.]

Mercury prelude. Music by Leopold van der Pals. [...] At the beginning of the music, Philia, then Astrid, then Luna, and finally Maria appear one after the other. They all begin their paths at the same time. Maria moves on the outer circle, hinting at the Marian motif in the music and forming the vowels i, u, a, u like au, touching each other, in movements of calling and recognition. Philia runs the round shapes, accompanying Maria's path in the i- above in the emotional zone. Astrid runs the rays back and forth in a - in front of her in the thinking zone, and Luna also runs the turns around Astrid's ray shape back and forth. In the music, a main motif and three secondary motifs can be recognized. During the grand crescendo, the choirs enter from three sides and group themselves around Maria, Philia, Astrid, and Luna in a semicircle, who continue to move in their forms. At the end of the music, everyone moves into the following formation.

[Tatiana Kisseleff on the nature of the performance of the Devachan scene in 1923]

At the beginning of the music, Philia (i above), then Astrid (a in front), then Luna (u below), then Maria (in e-gesture - arms crossed at the chest - forms i, a, u in motion) appear. At the grand crescendo of the music, the choirs (each consisting of 4, 5, or 6 people) appear from three sides and group themselves in a semicircle around the four main figures, who continue to move in their paths until the end of the music.

To take up the position for the text section, the transitions from the final position after the Mercury upbeat are made according to the dotted lines shown opposite into the grouping also shown opposite. The stage can also be arranged in four levels. Mary at the top, the three soul forces gradually descending. However, it was never performed according to these instructions.

[Mary “My sisters [...] What I long for”] Then the regrouping takes place silently as shown above with dotted lines, with the choir standing in a semicircle at the back = front arm lower, rear arm higher in relation to each other (like a protective chain) to the final position.

in which the main figures make the following gestures: Maria = left arm stretched over Philia's head, right arm in a middle position slightly forward towards Philia, as if protecting her; Luna in "stretched towards Philia; Astrid in a towards Philia; Philia = right arm in i above. - Final positions:

Before and after: symphonic music transitioning into choral singing, then into speech (on stage also silent eurythmy)