Opening of the Mouth

A journey of the soul
presented by The Festival of Perth
and the Goethe Institut-Sydney

Composer Richard BARRETT in collaboration with installation artist Crow, draws upon the poetry of Paul CELAN and the Egyptian Book of the Dead, in presenting a journey into the heart of darkness: for out of apocolypse and annihilation arises optimism---surely a work for the end of this century.

Opening of the Mouth comes into being at the intersection of two ideas: one from the beginning of civilisation, one from this century. The ancient Egyptians belief in life after death involved elaborate preparations in this world in order to provide an auspicious beginning to a person's afterlife. The dead underwent an ordeal in the Underworld in which they were required to bear witness to their deeds in life. The Egyptian book of the Dead was buried with the person to provide a `script´ for this trial. During the process of mummification, a ritual known as the Opening of the Mouth was performed, and was intended to give back the dead their voices so that theu might thus give an account of themselves. This ritual and its function give rise to the title and form of the composition.

`Giving a voice to the dead´ is also one way of describing the work of the Romanian Jewish poet, Paul Celan (1920-70). His poetry speaks for the voiceless millions annihilated in the Nazi holocaust, and for his own experience as a survivor.