Irina Dečermić

Schumann "poet of sound" - Author and actress

The theatre project Schumann "poet of sound” is a musical-dramatic reconstruction of the last few hours of the composer’s life which he spent in Endenich sanatorium, which he entered of his own free will, and his very last encounter with his beloved wife Clara, a pianist and composer in her own right. That event serves as a revealing motive of the Schumann’s inner world illuminating his great love for Clara who was the greatest if not the only inspiration of his piano opus. Schumann’s mental condition is just an outward symbol of his tragedy. Nightmares, dreams, visions, his identification with literary characters (Manfred, Faust, Kreisler, of course Florestan and Eusibius) become the only content of his reality. Robert is torn between his longing for Clara, who comes to him as an apparition reviving his poetical intimate world of sound (through his unique piano music interpreting), and painful, demoniac hallucinations exhausting what is left of his life.

"Struggle against his true nature must have caused him great suffering, and it has stained even his most beautiful pages with the blood that has flowed from the open wound."

Franc Liszt

Although written in the style of fiction, the text of the play fully relies on the biographical data, music, essays, literal influences and private correspondence between Clara and Robert Schumann. Atmosphere of this musical-drama is inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann, a unique romantic movement writer and artist, who had a great influence on Robert Schumann. The author’s intent was to try and disclose the sources, motives and inspirations and thus offer a different approach to Schumann’s music.

"Schumann’s music goes farther than the ear, it goes into the body, in the muscles by the beats of its rhythm, and somehow into the viscera by the voluptuous pleasure of it’s melos as if on each occasion the piece was written only for one person, the one who plays it."

Roland Barthes

Director: Goran Šušljik

Stage design: Dušan Dečermić

Writer: Irina Dečermić

Music: Robert Schumann

Cast: Irina Dečermić, Goran Šušljik

Light design: Goran Šušljik

"With her ethereal appearance, way of speaking, Irina Dečermić masterly created that sublime, distinct, mystical setting of a story of creation, love, devotion, frustration, madness and death."

"Her playing is even more admirable considering multiple tasks she was performing on stage in continuity (playing and acting)."

Ivan Medenica, Vreme

The Kreutzer Sonata - Author and actress

In 1887, during the concert that was performed at the estate of the Tolstoy family, Leo Tolstoy was listening with tears in his eyes the first movements of the Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata and though he could not control himself, he went to the window to silence his sob.

In such circumstances there was born an idea for one of the most controversial novellas in the epoch at the end of 19th century, the publishing of which was one of the most significant intellectual events in many parts of the world, Europe, Amerika and Asia concerning the theme called at the time the problem of the woman and sexual problem.

Who is that nameless woman in the novella the Kreutzer Sonata?

Sofia Tolstoy, the wife of the great artist Leo Tolstoy, who dedicated her life and all her energy to their wedlock and family life during 45 years of their common life. In extremely hard moments of her life, the music was maybe the greatest comfort for Sofia; and the friendship with the composer Sergei Taniev which relation her husband could not accept and understand. The writer vented such almost pathological jealousy in his piece the Kreutzer Sonata. While Tolstoy flew over the world she was tied on the earth with her problems her husband left to her to solve alone. Thus, unfortunately, she – Sofia, during their marriage became a representative of all values the great writer wanted to release from. Sofia Tolstoy was one remarkable, complex woman, with almost iron body and poetic soul.

This dramatization of Tolstoy’s novella, the Kreutzer Sonata, is in a way a tribute to unique and misunderstood Sofia Tolstoy. Her diaries were published first time and translated one hundred years after she wrote them.

"Intertwining with the Russian playwright's novella excerpts from Sofia Tolstoy's diary, Irina Decermic and Jean-Marc Barr give depth and power to this harsh text, to this confession of a feminicide. If Beethoven's music, perfectly performed live by Tijana Milosevic on violin and graceful and noble Irina Decermic on piano, underline the intensity of the drama and allow you to be carried away by this famous Sonata in Kreutzer, the real trigger of the drama. Tolstoy's words, Jean-Marc Barr's acting, all in controlled tension and nervousness, the luminous presence of his partner (Irina Dečermić), whose singing accent, warms the slightly feverish atmosphere, are enough to make the violence of the act palpable."

L’oeil d’Olivier (Olivier’s Eye)

"Chroniquesartistiques et rencontresculturelles (Artistic chronicles and cultural encounters ) Irina Decermic's theatrical adaptation is flavorful and rich. Combining music with excerpts from Sofia's diary Tolstoy's wife, who are intertwined with selected writings from the "Kreutzer Sonata". The musicians Irina Decermic on piano and Tijana Milosevic on violin offer a precise interpretation, of a beautiful musicality and with a clear scope. Yes, an amazing show, of simple and touching beauty, which surprises us with its purpose and its construction, almost bewitching us with its intertwined lyrics and the music that flows around it."

Frédéric Perez, Spectatif

"In her adaptation, which includes a few moments of the Sofia Tolstoy's "Diary", Irina Decermic, who also plays Pozdnyshev's wife, who will soon be the victim of her husband's jealousy, wanted to remain as close as possible to the raw feelings of this tragedy, which could have been just a vaudeville."

Philippe Person, www.froggydelight.com

"To the fictional strength of the book Irina Decermic added the power of truth, by inserting excerpts from the diary of Tolstoy's wife, Sofia. Irina Decermic, both as an actress and pianist, has a magnificent presence, a permanent grace. This theatrical narrative is of great venerable charm."

Gilles Costaz, Veb theatre

"In her adaptation, conceived as both a theatrical performance and a classical concert, Irina Decermic brilliantly blends the words of the Russian writer with those of her wife's diary, Sofia. Thanks to the careful and sober staging of the Serbian actor and producer GoranSusljik, the play immerses us into this famous train of Leon Tolstoy's novella, with its main character, Pozdnyshev."

TV5MONDE

Irina Dečermić – Love & Death (2018) - Author and actress

The music stage performance, Love and Death, deals with theme of female destiny and female principle in the love and death.

Through three stories, triptychin the form of the stage-music-painting expression, this subject is explored using three different women out of the European literature and different epochs in the span of three centuries.

This theme, love and death, will be decomposed through expression itself – the form, into three contours of the narration: the word, music, picture. They complement each other and create independently, each for itself, a specific structure and authentic theatrical expression.

This rare stage form, where the narrator (the actress) is, at the same time, a music interpreter, is additionally dramatized and individualized by the allegoric destinies of three characters that finally became one personified Woman.

This music and poetic matrix will be performed for the first time.

It thrills my senses, the measure Irina Dečermić has achieved in everything, and maybe it holds the key! Culmination of success is recognized upon such measure. It means that the artist is simply present here, just here, and fills the space by herself. This relentlessness is so gorgeous. It is possible only when an artist is confident, deeply confident, in the maximum she is giving. This unique artist first transfers that peace to the audience in the hall, the peace - meaning that there is no anxiety or fear, but just reliance that there is opening something of quality, authentic, filled, richness and settled, same as her entire image . This is something that supports each flicker in her voice – enables access to the audience, collusion with her without any rest.

Zlata Kocić

Merging all her talents Irina Decermic made an unforgetrable theatrical happening. Liszt’s Lenora was masterly performed..A task almost impossible to even imagine a performer to dare. Play Liszt and recite poetry at the same time. Her performance was dramatic, exciting, yet at the same time, subtle and delicate. Her performance of Cvetajeva’s demanding and long poem was truly inspiring. Deep and touching. Such poetical moments are so rare, and I sincerely thank her so offering us such a rare gift.

Gorica Pilipović - RTS (Serbian Radio Television)