Castellucci's Empedocle at Spoleto Festival: A Gymnasium of Ritual
At the 2018 Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Romeo Castellucci staged 'Giudizio. Possibilità. Essere,' a radical interpretation of Hölderlin's 'Death of Empedocles.' The performance unfolds in a gymnasium, transforming it into a space of combat and revelation. Castellucci draws on Hölderlin's Lutheran austerity, with actresses in early 19th-century German costume. The all-female chorus embodies a feminine Empedocles, suggesting that civilization's rebirth lies with women. The work is described as a 'military exercise' and a 'scenic action,' blending dance, rhetoric, and ritual. Castellucci's direction emphasizes the body as a site of struggle, echoing the philosopher's suicide as a metaphor for spiritual mortification. The piece reflects on the failure of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon, themes Hölderlin grappled with between 1798 and 1800. The performance critiques contemporary society's virtual self-absorption, offering a harsh, disillusioned vision.
Key facts
- Romeo Castellucci directed 'Giudizio. Possibilità. Essere' at the 2018 Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto.
- The performance is based on Hölderlin's 'Death of Empedocles,' written between 1798 and 1800.
- The setting is a gymnasium, used as a metaphor for life as combat.
- Castellucci's staging emphasizes Lutheran austerity, with actresses in early 19th-century German costume.
- The all-female chorus represents a feminine Empedocles, entrusting civilization's rebirth to women.
- The work is described as a 'scenic action' and 'synchronized military exercise.'
- Hölderlin's context includes the aftermath of the French Revolution and Napoleon's rise.
- The performance critiques contemporary society's virtual self-absorption and loss of human connection.
Entities
Artists
- Romeo Castellucci
- Hölderlin
- Empedocles
- Seneca
- Hermann Nitsch
- Niccolò Lucarelli
Institutions
- Festival dei Due Mondi
- Artribune
Locations
- Spoleto
- Italy