Der Stumme Orpheus

In 1972, I came into contact with the music of Tōru Takemisu 
for the first time. I was immediately infected by it and this 
infection stayed with me for many years to come. In 1977, 
I choreographed his "November Steps" and in 1980, I invited 
him to participate on the large dance gathering of the aboriginal 
people of Australia. I met him for the first time on a tiny airport 
of the Groote Eylandt in the north of Australia. As a result of that 
meeting, he composed music for my choreography "Dream Time" 
which premièred 1983. "Der Stumme Orpheus’’, or in English, 
"The Mute Orpheus", was a misconceived creation which didn't 
leave many positive traces on any of the interpreters or the 
audience. 

                    Jiří Kylián - May 23, 2020