Curse of Rome (2008)

Video Stills: Curse of Rome

Music Artist Statement:

“The Curse of Rome” for solo voice subverts Shakespeare’s text of “Julius Caesar” to the restructuring of melodies based on British baroque composer Henry Purcell. Shakespeare’s text has been edited and expanded upon to collapse the play’s characters into a new single fictional character that represents the zeitgeist of our past and present times. The lyrics form a contrast to the sacred and British sovereign compositions that Purcell is known for. This work continues my research and practice into varied forms of musical interventions that engage a political discourse utilizing singing to decode the subject.

Kenneth Doren

Video Lyrics:

Let’s just say that I’m a prick

The prick who knows that they’re a prick

A prick, a fuck, a noisy crap

The despised, a disorder with a marvelous manner

A conversationalist bull ill shit

The valiant ass soldier, a treasure of bad verse

The legacy that quakes ears, condemns tears, covets rears

I call out to you, beautiful Royal Blue

Vile through and through

Let’s pluck these tender hearts

Soft souls, lewd goals

Turn him off, his testy crotch

Let’s slip the dogs of war.

Let us spit the curse of Rome

I appoint you to drip it

To tear it, to wear it

To slap this ass that bears gold

My Antony, my Brutus, my Roman Hell Holiday

I’m the conspirator, the constipator

I’ll release the damn hot spot

Grown and sweat under their business

Unload eleven years of grazing in the commons

O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth

Have you had enough of digesting me?

Meek and gentle butcher

We have each other

Your bitter foul food

Each other a sour sauce

Give me your hand

Teach the fuck fight

Press into me

Your humour, your cynic rhyme

Don’t leave me honeyless, stingless

I need an offending kiss

This our last night of being traitors

Our last of lust

So farewell Rome

You bastard, I’m through

Artist Statement:

Kenneth Doren

This work continues my research and practice into varied forms of musical interventions that engage a social and political discourse using video installation and performance. In my previous work I have developed a number of personal projects, what I term “digital operas,” which incorporates video and musical performance that focus on certain aspects on the old British Empire’s legacy. The digital operas and video work are performance spectacles in which I have appropriated historical texts and juxtaposed them with references to pop culture. “Rule Britannia - A Low Opera in Grand Shite Style” (2002) incorporated two pianos and two video monitors that investigated British Imperialism through the course of history. “Suite for Birth” (2000), a digitally manipulated audio installation work that incorporated the following elements; the eulogy given by Queen Elizabeth II of England at Lady Diana's funeral, music originally composed for the birth of Prince Charles by Sir Michael Tippett, and a mezzo soprano singing a duet with the Queen of England. My latest opuses (2005) restructures musical expectations: “Immortal Misbegotten” a reworking of Ludwig van Beethoven's famous six Op. 18 String Quartets condensed into one piece and “Pathetic Piano” a breakdown of Beethoven's Op. 13 Pathètique Sonata into ten new audience interactive videos.

Kenneth Doren

Credits:

Curse of Rome

Singer: Helen Pridmore

Text: Kenneth Doren (inspired by Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar)

Music (improvised): loosely based on Purcell melodies

Videography: Kenneth Doren

Video and sound edit: Kenneth Doren

Direction: Kenneth Doren

Thank you: Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre, NB

Duration 5:20

© 2008

External Links:

Kenneth Doren Web Site

Helen Pridmore Web Site

SBOT N WO Web Site

Disclaimer: This site has been designed with only non-commercial, academic uses in mind. Although every effort has been made to secure permission for materials uploaded on the CASP site, in some circumstances we have been unable to locate copyright holders. Links may be made to our site but under no conditions are the texts and images to be copied and mounted onto another site server. Researchers using the site should accredit it following standard MLA guidelines on how to do so. Correct citation of information from the site is as follows:

Fischlin, Daniel. Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project. University of Guelph. 2004. <http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca>.