L' IDEA

TESTI

DRAMA

AZIONI

MUSICA

CANZONI

VISIONI

PERSONE

AMICI

CONTATTI

DEPOSITO

METAREALISTS
AND OTHERS

Thank you very much for presentation of your energetic work crossing various countries... By skimming your webpage, we were able to catch the philosophy of your project... Finally, please note that, according to the result of the evaluation, UNESCO would be able to offer moral and practical support to your project.

Tereza Wagner,
Division of Arts and Cultural Enterprise,
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France CLT/ACE/ACS.

This project is really inspiring! Is the project already finalized or are is there some space for artists to fit in and in what way?

Marie-Ange Schimmer,
Relais Culture Europe-Luxembourg,
Agence luxembourgeoise d'action culturelle,
34b, rue Philippe II L-2340 Luxembourg.

PETRUSHKA, THE CLOWN

 
1. The Ballerina

Typical fair-like activities are seen:
crowds, a hurdy-gurdy, dancing,
a puppet theater.

The showman of the puppet theater
charms three of his puppets
to life: a Moor,
a ballerina...

Signora vestita di velluto all'ombra
di statue di gesso, litografia
di Filippo su una rivista,
con un pacchetto di
nere sigarette sottili,
fumo che si avvolge,
come un filo.

...and Petrushka, the clown.

Dancing first on their stands,
they soon jump down from
the puppet theater and
join the astonished
crown in the open
of the fair.

 
2. The Master of Puppets

Petrushka, who has been endowed with
emotions, despises his grotesque
appearance and dreads the yoke
of his master, the showman...

Lui strappa l'adesivo dal sigaro, e sbatte
il sigaro dietro all'adesivo. La finestra
infrange il movimento con una rete
di robusto vimine. Lui
infila fiori di jasmina
al suo occhiello,
come una lama.

Having fallen in love with the ballerina,
Petrushka attempts to charm her with
his dancing and clowning, but his
uncouth behavior only frightens
her. He soon finds himself
alone in his cell,
cursing a portrait
of the showman.

 
3. The Moor

When Petrushka discovers that
the ballerina loves the Moor,
he becomes insanely jealous
and attempts to come
between them but is
vanquished by
the Moor...

Il suo sguardo, sprigionandosi come riflesso
da una vecchia lastra di pietra, attraversa
l'intreccio di ghisa della finestra,
si appoggia sul pallido viso,
frustati gli occhi aperti
con un lampo
diamantato
di ghiaccio.

After more scenes of revelry at the fair,
Petrushka suddenly appears from behind
the curtain of the puppet theater
being pursued by the Moor.

 
4. Petrushka, the clown

The ballerina attempts to restrain
the Moor but is unable to prevent
him from mortally wounding
Petrushka...

Subito lui non capi, cosa aveva tra le mani,
perche la gola era ridotta a uno spasmo,
e gli occhi in un ruggito caduti
sul pavimento di pietra,
e trasformati
in scintillare
di gomma.

As snow begins to fall, Petrushka dies
and the showman comforts horrified
bystanders by assuring them
that Petrushka is nothing
but a puppet.

 
5. Just puppets

As the showman drags the lifeless,
broken body off stage...

...il suo sguardo disegnava punti interrogativi
su piatte lastre di vetro...

...however, Petrushka's ghost
appears triumphant on the roof
of the Puppet theater...

...caro bambino, come sono turpi adesso
i tuoi occhi di uccello...

...mocking the stupidity
of the public who were...

...api morte su una torta dolce,
con le ali bruciate...

...so easily fooled by the showman.

 
Trad. di Stefano Montino (Torino, Italia).
Foto di Ekaterina Vikulina (Riga, Latvia).