The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1912–1918

GA 277a — Dornach

From the Work in Dornach 1916/17

In addition to the examples of eurythmy work in Dornach documented here, work began in 1915 with the Easter choruses, the “Graceful Region” and the “Ascension” – and in 1916 and 1917, a great deal of work was also done on scenes from Goethe's Faust, with eurythmy always at the center. In 1916, the scenes “Dedication” to “Prologue in Heaven,” “The Burial” (Faust II, Act 5), the pact in the ‘Study’ and “Romantic Walpurgis Night” were rehearsed; in 1917, the scenes “Dark Gallery” (Faust II, Act 1) to “Laboratory” (Faust II, Act 2) followed in 1917; finally, from 1918 to early 1919, the scenes of the “Classical Walpurgis Night” were rehearsed and performed. Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner directed the production, providing guidance on specific eurythmic movements, stage design, costumes, lighting, etc. A few surviving documents relating to this early work on Faust are documented in the following volume (GA 277b); it was not until the 1920s that Rudolf Steiner gave eurythmic forms for individual scenes, which were integrated into the eurythmy performances.

Fercher von Steinwand: “Chorus of Primordial Dreams”

The “Chorus of Primordial Dreams” was first performed in Dornach on April 14, 1918, with seven eurythmists.

Fercher von Steinwand: Chorus of Primordial Dreams, stanzas 7-10

1. May imagined
   Suns fly away, Look around you, look inside you
   Swaying in the most hidden heights
   We seek each other / We live very close to each other
   And to those who have escaped We want to seek each other / We feel close to each other
   Stars nestle;
2. May allied ½1 line We know each other well
   Gods with shining, 1st line ½2 lines Look around you
   Brave arms of faith entwine
   Above inflamed It echoes = circle of the deity / (cloud illuminator)
   Thunder thoughts!

3. But we who seek 9 Str. Consonants of the stressed long syllables / It
   Find ourselves again,
   Turn the splendor of the relieved limbs
   Actively toward the languishing
   Darkness below.

4. Where we have sensations 10 Str. in 3 circles / inside: temporal preposition.
   Copula, interjection. - vocalic / middle: adj. adv. relat. pron., article, num. / outside: nouns, personal and indicative. Cons. Entry
   Ghostly guiding,
   Fruitful as mothers giving fertilizing gifts,
   World deliveries 4. and 5. - Fear-form, terror
   Think, conceive!

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “Prooemion”

Prooemion Goethe (God and the World) 1 In the name of the one who created himself
2 From eternity in creative work;
3 In His name, which creates faith,
4 Trust, love, activity, and strength;
5 In His name, which, so often mentioned,
6 Remained unknown in essence: For underlined sounds - one step.
7 As far as the ear can hear, as far as the eye can see, Profile to the audience
8 You will find only familiar things that resemble Him,

9 And your spirit's highest flight of fire
10 Has enough in the parable, has enough in the image; 10-I. Standing vowels; II-Cons. Forms 10 lines
11 It draws you in, it carries you away cheerfully,
12 And where you walk, the path and place are adorned;
13 You no longer count, you no longer calculate time,
14 And every step is immensity. 14th line every step / 14th line each makes a % circle / immensity

Friedrich Hebbel: “The Consecration of the Night”

The Consecration of the Night, Hebbel / as a couple 1 Nighttime silence!
2 Holy abundance,
3 As if weighed down by divine blessings,
4 Whispers from eternal distance.
5 What lived there,
6 What strove from narrow circles
7 To the farthest reaches,
8 Gently and quietly
9 Sank back into itself
10 And swells up
11 In unconscious happiness.
12 And from all the stars below
13 A wonderful blessing flows,
14 That the weary powers again
15 Stir in new freshness,
16 And out of its darkness
17 The Lord steps, as far as he can,
18 And the threads that were torn,
19 He ties them all back together again.

Christian Morgenstern: “Feeling”

The poem was first recited by Tatiana Kisseleff on June 11, 1918, in Dornach.

Christian Morgenstern: “Feeling” Ha! You must feel it... Ha- Hope: Toes pointing upward, torso slightly forward. Look straight ahead. Hands down at your sides. Feel the feeling: direction of gesture and face upward, not large, measured. Command or request: two steps left-right
Something new is brewing... Foot position: I understand. Courageous. Call
With a thousand arms it convulses [cons.] and stretches [cons.] itself... Foot position: active. Right foot energetically forward.
A dark [all sounds] gruesome-sweet noise swells... Foot position: tension. Excited.
So the sea rolls [all sounds] in stormy melodies ... hear great gestures. Foot position: tension
O power, [cons.] o life! [cons.] Come up! [vocalized] up!
Call. O-call: willful; downward o-call: emotional; upward Expression of feeling
A new earth festival
Springtime of the peoples sluggish [vocal] lap Invitation - call. the e only with finger
Yes! Yes! [vocal] you want! [cons.] Foot position: double affirmation. Gesture: fulfillment Gesture willful downward. Foot position: active I feel it [vocal] yes! Feeling upward.
I feel it [vocal] Gesture vocal, measured upward.