Greek productions of ancient Greek drama in the first half of the twentieth century

Music is one of the arts that participate in the ‘total work of art’ of ancient Greek drama, and the question of how to produce ancient drama on the contemporary stage is important not only for the stage director, but also for the composer. A key question about how ‘Greekness’ is depicted in music written for productions of ancient drama relates to the place of music in the hierarchy of arts in this total work of art. Music written for productions of ancient drama during the interwar period was generally received according to similar criteria: simplicity, transparency, austerity. The system of musical education developed by the Swiss music teacher Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, according to which bodily movements are used to represent musical rhythms. The meeting of Jaques-Dalcroze with stage designer Adolphe Appia in 1906 was of crucial importance in making eurythmics an important means of expression in productions of ancient drama.