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