Client: Vereinigte Bühnen, Graz
Location: Opernhaus, Graz

Realisierung: 1998

STAGE SET FOR “MOSES AND ARON”

Written in 1928 by Arnold Schoenberg (1874- 1951), "Moses and Aron" reflects upon - in addition to biblical content - issues of Judaism and the meaning of religion for the concept of a Jewish nation. It is based on a single row of twelve- tone music: the application of this row within the theme of inversion, retrograde and retrograde inversion, as well as the possibility of the transposition upon all twelve tones provides the enormous supply of tones. The central motif to the narration from the Old Testament is Mount Sinai, ascended by Moses, having turned away from his sceptics whom he was leading from Egypt to the Promised Land, to his meeting with God. Afterwards, the conflict between him and his brother Aron, Who had ordained the Golden Calf as a replacement cult, occurs. The stage set shows Mount Sinai as a spider-like construction made out of aluminium profiles held in place by a structure within the floor and on the rear. A "bar" represents the path upon which Moses descends from the Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments . Through this a constructivistic interpretation of the theme has been chosen as an analogy to the twelve-tone music of Schoenberg. The avoidance of distracting equipment details is advantageous to the concentration on the archaic action.  

text from the book "Günther Domenig- RECENT WORK" ISBN 3-211-83876-7  SpringerWienNewYork