The Odyssey

Ballet by John Neumeier after Homer

One of the most important pieces of poetry is the epic "Odyssey" by the Greek lyricist Homer. John Neumeier decided to dedicate to this comprehensive work about the hero Odysseus and his adventurous journey at the invitation of the Athens opera and concert house Megaron in 1995. For his ballet version his aim was to get as close as possible to the roots of the epic and at the same time translate the literary original onto a level of movement. A prerequisite for this was the commissioning of a work by the Greek composer George Couroupos and the collaboration with the Greek stage and costume designer Yannis Kokkos.

ten years of wandering
ten years of return
ten years of healing
after ten years of war

The Odyssey is inconceivable without war. For me, the point is that a person has to find his way back to himself after ten years of war. He must return to wholeness journeying back from a macho world of battle and war, defined in a negative sense as male, to rediscover his feminine aspect. Perhaps, this is Penelope.
John Neumeier

Music: George Couroupos
Commissioned Score by The Hamburg State Opera
Choreography and Staging: John Neumeier
Set and Costumes: Yannis Kokkos

2 hours 15 minutes | no intermission

PREMIERE:
Hamburg Ballet, Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall, Athens, November 20, 1995

ORIGINAL CAST:
Odysseus: Ivan Liska
Penelope: Anna Polikarpova
Telemachos: Ivan Urban
Pallas Athena: Anna Grabka
He: Nicolas Musin
Calypso: Heather Jurgensen
Nausicaa: Bettina Beckmann
Circe: Chantal Lefèvre
The Sea: Laura Cazzaniga
The Suitors / The War: Jirí Bubenícek, Otto Bubenícek
Eurycleia: Karen Niles

IN THE REPERTORY:
Hamburg Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet

TO READ BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE
By John Neumeier

During last season’s retrospective a great many of my ballets were shown, however, it was still not possible to bring back every important work. Therefore, when it became clear that I would remain another year as "Intendant", I decided it was important to revive "The Odyssey".

This work has a very special place in my oeuvre. It would never have occurred to me to make a ballet based on Homer’s great epic poem. The work was, in fact, commissioned by the Megaron Concert Hall. I felt so honored by this commission that I could not refuse. Similar to creating the Mozart Requiem for Salzburg, creating this great epic in the capital of the country where it originated, was a truly unique opportunity.

I wish to recreate this work for my final season, especially as it represents a completely unique choreographic style in contrast to my other works. As it has often happened, it was a specific music which unconsciously inspired me to create a completely different choreographic language. This was the case with "The Odyssey".

In a world so unexpectedly troubled again by wars and their unspeakable consequences, I believe that this work is especially relevant. "The Odyssey" is one of my anti-aggressive, anti-war pieces. It certainly reflects my feelings as a young man towards the Vietnam War which America so senselessly fought. It is, therefore, a kind of companion piece to "Dona Nobis Pacem". It is a sincere plea for peace, as are the last lines of Homer’s epic poem.

Photo © Holger Badekow