A Few Words About The Ballet Bacchantes

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Yorgos Sicilianos, in an interview with Ελληνικό Θέατρο magazine published in February 1959, discussed his ballet The Bacchantes Op 19. No. 1, inspired by Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae. He highlighted the unique and intense Dionysian spirit of the play, which revisits the roots of theatre as an idea stemming from Dionysian worship. When approached by Rallou Manou to compose music for a dance drama based on this tragedy, Sicilianos was initially hesitant due to the complexities involved in removing a fundamental element like dialogue. However, he decided to proceed, focusing on the deeper theme of human rebellion against divine law and the inevitable destruction that follows, a concept central to Euripides’ work.

Sicilianos adapted the myth, streamlining characters and emphasising the dramatic core through dance and music alone. He introduced a prologue depicting Semele’s lightning strike to set the psychological tone for the story. The ballet was structured into a prologue and three scenes, combining a strong rhythmic and Dionysian feel with a deeply dramatic tone, especially in the prologue and lament. Sicilianos occasionally used sung speech to express intense emotions when pure musical means were insufficient. His musical approach aimed to revive ancient texts in the contemporary idiom, staying true to his personal beliefs and the classical spirit’s timeless adaptability.

Ελληνικό Θέατρο (Greek Theatre) – February 1959 in issue No. 23, page 21