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Perhaps this is the best description of this year’s Music Department Practical Project; celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Laurence Sterne’s The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. Under the direction of Prof. Roger Marsh and supervised by Patrick Wildgust (curator of Shandy Hall), on the 18th, 19th and 20th of this month students will put on a musical interpretation of the book. It will comprise period pieces, new music and drama, to try and capture the essence of the revolutionary novel.
The book itself is considered by many to be one of the most important literary works of the 18th Century. Written from the perspective of Tristram Shandy, a man struggling to write his own autobiography, it incorporates fluid timelines, countless digressions and unusual additions such as the ‘Black Page’ (a page printed black to represent the emotion words cannot). In some respects, it is the first post-modern novel, written before even modernism was invented (ironically reflecting the plot’s distorted timeline).
Sound confusing? It certainly is, and even a week before the opening night the project’s participants themselves were unsure of the final outcome. But, in a way, that is the best approach to representing the novel. The show itself comprises two halves: the first features scenes taken from the novel, portraying significant events with music of the time and mentioned in the story. The second half, however, draws more heavily from the surreal aspect of the book, placing ‘digression’ scenes relating to abstract ideas from the plot amongst new compositions.
Perhaps the show will somehow clarify the book. Perhaps the audience will leave feeling more baffled than when they arrived. Only the finished production will tell, but one thing is for sure: it promises to be an intriguing and entertaining evening.
The performances take place in the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall. Student ticket price: £3 (available from the box office in the Music Department). The project is supported by the Laurence Sterne Trust, the University of York Learning and Teaching Projects Fund and Vicky Cumberland.
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