Muusikaline performance 1980–1991. Sven Grünberg, Ariel Lagle

Abstract

The article examines the role of original music in Estonian performance art of the 1980s, focusing on two key artist-musician collaborations: Leonhard Lapin (1947–2022) / Sven Grünberg (b. 1956), and Ariel Lagle (b. 1963) / Siim-Tanel Annus (b. 1960). It highlights the often-overlooked significance of music in the audiovisual composition of the era’s performance art. In the late 1970s, Lapin introduced the concept of multimedia to Estonian theatre audiences in his writings. In 1980, he staged Multiplitseeritud inimene (The Multiplied Human), a technophilic spectacle based on texts by the pre-war constructivist poet Johannes Vares-Barbarus (1890–1946), incorporating synthesizer sounds by Grünberg at the State Youth Theatre of the Estonian SSR. This production inspired Siim-Tanel Annus, who in December of the same year organized the first in a series of garden rituals that gradually evolved into elaborate spectacles of performance art integrating theatrical elements, design, special effects, and original music by Lagle in the late 1980s. The article analyses these collaborations and sound design principles, focusing on minimalist and ambient music influences. Drawing on archival materials and interviews, it provides a comprehensive view of music’s vital role in shaping Estonian performance art during this period.