Music in Beckett – Work in Progress

Judy Hegarty Lovett (director)
Paul Clark (composer)
Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh (musician)
Conor Lovett (actor)

Samuel Beckett’s work is inherently musical. His command of language was such that the rhythms and metre of his sentences are in themselves perfectly musical. First Love is strongly based on Schubert’s Die Winterreise in both story and architecture. The thirteen Texts For Nothing take their title from the musical term ‘a beat for nothing’ that the conductor makes before launching into a work. Structurally these pieces also reflect musical studies in their circular way of announcing their theme, developing it and return to it. In his radio play Words & Music, Beckett wrote the text for words but leaves the music unspecified as though inviting collaboration. Many of Beckett’s works are peppered with songs, hymns, ditties and poems. The Beckett Project Paris’ object is to collect, research and put music to the songs and poems in the work.

Image : Photo © Kate Brandy