The 2023 edition of Stuttgart’s ECLAT Festival was more than ever a festival of co-productions and inhouse creation, together with artists whose ideas can unfold free of predetermined themes or even ideologies. Among them was Samir Odeh-Tamimi’s world premiere of Philoktet, commissioned by Musik der Jahrhunderte, funded by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, and written for the Neue Vocalisten Stuttgart and the Zafraan Ensemble. There is no hierarchy between text, music, or stage in Philoktet. With a libretto from Claudia Pérez Iñesta based on Sophocles, Heiner Müller, and André Gide, the work is a whole in which everything is lent equal importance. It makes it all the more compelling then, that Samir Odeh-Tamimi, who has for years been an active painter and sculptor alongside composing, is for the first time responsible for direction, stage design, and for the music.

About Philoktet

Parallel to his preliminary musical considerations, Samir Odeh-Tamimi also created a series of chalk drawings, etchings and sculptures in stone, which are the starting point for the scenographic concept.



The instrumentalists are alter egos of Philoktet, each in their own way. Some seem trapped, unable to find the exit, others ask themselves existential questions. The contrabass clarinet plays a special role. The instrument seems like an appendage of the instrumentalist, like a large, immobile leg, heavy and stiff, but scenically very present. The semantics of movement are of great importance in this work.

The central element of Philoktet is language as an expression of various inner and outer human states. Odeh-Tamimi also juxtaposes the Greek, French and German languages of the underlying dramas with a fantasy language with melodic and rhythmic elements of ancient Semitic languages.

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Synopsis

Due to an injury, Philoktet, a respected warrior in Odysseus’ entourage, becomes a disruptive factor in the army on the way to the conquest of Troy. His comrades abandon him on the deserted island of Lemnos. After ten unsuccessful years fighting for Troy, the Greek warriors again remember Philoktet and his »miracle weapon« inherited from Heracles. Philoktet, deeply wounded by the abandonment, had sworn, however, never to fight for the Greeks again.


The warriors Odysseus and Neoptolemos reach Lemnos and want to win Philoktet, who lives in misery and isolation on the island, once again for the war against Troy. Above all, they are interested in his wonder weapon. Odysseus’ cunning strategy works: By lying, Neoptolemos gains Philoktet’s trust.

Unsuspectingly, Philoktet invites Neoptolemos into his cave and gives him his weapon. Philoktet’s blind trust awakens Neoptolemos’ doubts about the planned betrayal. He resists the choir’s urging to flee with the bow and reveals the planned deception to Philoktet. Odysseus appears and demands the weapon, leaving the deeply disappointed and embittered Philoktet behind.