Über die Tragik des menschlichen Körpers

Sophie Schmidt, 2020

The opera in five acts Über die Tragik des menschlichen Körpers (On the Tragedy of the Human Body) tells stories from within the body and sings out of it. Lyrics, notes, diary entries and correspondence create the written score which consists of arias, duets and choruses. Moods, body parts, organs, flies, beetles, turkeys, trees and architecture appear equally as persons. The prosthesis appears as a recurring element in the written and visual representations. The cyborg character breaks the cohesiveness of a classical opera. A series of drawings at the beginning, leads into colorful photographs and scenes from performances in the 3rd and 4th acts. These dramatic moments, which develop from the narratives of the drawings and are embodied in one place, finally transform again into drawings in the 5th act. The encore consists of an essay on the prosthesis as body extension.

Concept: Sophie Schmidt in collaboration with Judith Neunhäuserer and Sophia Mainka
Text/content: Sophie Schmidt
Picture editor: Sophia Mainka
Proofreading: Kurt Schmidt, Lilian Robl, Stefanie Hammann
Photo editing: Margit Toovere
Design: Karoline Swiezynski
Language: German

520 p., 4/4c offset, 15.4 x 21.6 cm, hardcover with textile, silver embossing

You can also order the limited Special Edition of 50 w/ dark red embossing (cover), red edge painting, including 1 original drawing by Sophie Schmidt on postcard (ink and watercolor on paper, 10.5 x 14.8 cm), signed by the artist

www.sophieschmidt.info

ISBN: 978-3-947250-32-5