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| Hermann Nitsch in the chapel at Prinzendorf. © Carl A 2004 |
Although the
Wiener Aktionisten did not constitute an entirely homogenous group, there were
certainly enough similarities between them to be regarded as one entity or
movement by art history. But after the first seminal decade of provocative
work, circa 1965-1975, the main protagonists – Hermann Nitsch, Otto Muhl,
Günther Brus and Rudolph Schwarzkogler (who died already in 1969) – drifted
apart in more ways than one.
Hermann Nitsch
kept on working and working with his Aktionen, slowed down temporarily only by
depression after his first wife had died in a car crash. When he eventually
returned from passivity, there was no holding back whatsoever. The Aktionen, as
well as the resulting documentations (videos, paintings, CDs etc), became more
elaborate, more intricate and more and more mythically charged.
Not only were the
specific themes dealt with increasingly uncomfortable (for some). The fact that
ample amounts of blood have always been an integral part of Nitsch’s work has
perhaps been the most controversial aspect of his Aktionen. Politicians to the
far right and far left, animal activists and religious fanatics have all had
their negative say in the matter. In no way has that stopped Herr Nitsch from
manifesting his vision.
The greatest
Spiel this far has been the Sechs Tage Spiel in 1998, held at the artist’s
Schloss Prinzendorf just North of Vienna. Since then, only site specific
smaller performances and Aktionen have been held, not at all comparable in any
way to the 1998 epic. This year (2004), however, there was a resurgence in high
level ambition at Prinzendorf. In early August, Nitsch orchestrated his own
version of Parsifal.
Originally,
Nitsch had been invited to stage Wagner’s Parsifal at the Vienna Opera, but
nothing ever came out of that. Instead, he decided to concoct his own
Gesamtkunstwerk based on the Holy Grail Quest, claiming that ”Prinzendorf is my
Bayreuth!”
When you’re in
the midst of an ”Aktion”, there is no way to escape the plethora of psychedelic
impressions – unless you leave the premises of course. But there and then it’s
an overwhelming experience. The two day Parsifal Aktion 2004 in many ways
constituted not only another ambitious Nitsch Aktion, the 120th, but also a
return to a proto-European mystery tradition. What could be felt at Prinzendorf
was not so much the psycho-sexual angst that Wagner relied on in his version,
but rather a daring manifestation of the earth- and alchemical mysteries that
constitute Parsifal’s cleansing from the very moment he denies Kundry her much
wanted casual sex.
There was of
course plenty of music on the castle premises, played diligently by strings,
brass, percussion, electronics and the surroundings in themselves. Nitsch’s
music is elaborate and cosmic, striving to provoke even the harmony of the
spheres – monotonous at times, but always multifaceted. And always revealing
new structures within structures. The conductor looked like an athlete,
lovingly fighting with the different brought-in orchestras in the 30° C heat.
The impressions were, as mentioned before, overwhelming.
Some 30-40
whiteclad assistants helped out as Nitsch dictated silently and with an
occasional blowing in his whistle. Everything was perfectly disciplined, and it
was easy to see that this was needed. The control of all the goings-on requires
a skilled mind and a drilled crew. As one phase ends, say a blessing of
Parsifal on the Schloss courtyard, another one begins in, for example, the
small Chapel inside the castle. It’s simply impossible to grasp everything. One
can drift between developments but never really see or take in everything.
Carcasses of pigs
and one great bull were brought to the Castle by local butchers. The splitting
open of the bull is a Nitsch classic. Although it’s not totally obvious what
this has to do with Parsifal per se, that perspective becomes totally redundant when you’re in the midst of it all. Nitsch uses the same gimmicks and
his own modus operandi throughout all of his art because that’s his language.
Simple as that. Different stories or myths are recounted, but always very
distinctly in Nitsch’s own brutal language.
The display of
death is in Nitsch’s case always an affirmation and appreciation of life, no
matter what his detractors try to convey. The more than generous use of blood
in performance and painting is indeed part of an orgy, but in no way an
escapistic one. The life force flows on from beginning to end. And, even then,
onwards.
After a full
day’s worth of huge spears in procession, deafening music, the pigs’ and a bull’s
bodies on display, their entrails and blood meshed into various crucified
Amfortas and Parsifals, things wound down late at night. The intricate web of
blessings, sacrifices, rituals and atonements was now suddenly filled with
miasmic memories and imposant impressions.
The final
alchemical union between Parsifal and his consort took place in the Schloss’
wine cellar. After the ejaculatory fireworks of Magnesium had been lit, an
assistant displayed an Athanor-kind of destillation glass piece, and the Summum
Bonum of the Grail descended upon everyone present, including, of course, Herr
Nitsch himself.
The evening ended
in merry modes and moods, as a naked Parsifal was carried, together with a four meter
spear pointing to the sky, on a platform over the affluent fields of
Prinzendorf and down to the local Festplatz. A traditional Austrian Marsch band
provided the musical entertainment and the night got darker and darker and
drunker and drunker...
Day two was the
fine-tuned balancing of the previous day’s onslaught of ferocious action. Peace
and (almost) quiet! Great food and drink were enjoyed, beautiful and more
serene music played and even the weather gods played along by providing
slightly chillier temperatures. There was a genuine sentiment of joy present.
(This text was
originally written in 2004 for a Swedish cultural magazine who turned it down.
Nitsch, it seems, is not for everyone!)
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