NUM 1109 – Chamber Music

The Cherry-Orchard is a concerto suite taken from a musical scene of Anton Tchekov’s play, produced by Achim Bening at the Burgtheater in Vienna, 1982.
During the Third Act, witch takes place at 19th century’s Russia, a Jewish orchestra plays at the Ball. Most of productions show a very inexplicable indifference parting from this Jewish orquestra to the absorbting drama.
I thought that such a separation of the orquestra from the scenario was illogical; so, I asked the producer – who agreed immediately- if the music players could react to the ambience in such a way that the music would lose control and melt in such an anguished atmosphere, so distinctive of these play.
Even with the magician’s numbers to distract the guests, the tension becomes heavier, cooperating for the lost of the players in their own scores. So they play wrongly, not in time, in a faithful connection to the restless ambience of the Ball’s room.
The orquestra tries to reorganize itself several times, repeating melodies or small passages, in a way that the players would recognize their own position, but the music becomes more and more disconnected, through despair and agitation, just like the play’s action.
ANTONIO VICTORINO D’ALMEIDA