'Manifestation SIC' du 24 Juin 1917. (Les Mamelles de Tirésias. Drame Sur-réaliste en Deux Actes et Un Prologue)
Sic. (Sons. Idées. Couleurs. Formes.). Pablo Picasso & Henri Matisse. Albert-Birot, Pierre, Max Jacob, Pierre Reverdy, Jean Cocteau & Guillaume Apollinaire
Paris. SIC. 1917
The catalogue / announcement issued for the first - and sole performance in his lifetime - of Guillaume Apollinaire's drama, the first Surrealist production, 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias'.
It was during his long convalescence - he fought at the Marne in the First World War, receiving a shrapnel injury to the head for which he was trepanned - that Apollinaire returned to 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias' (he had begun the work as early as 1903) – the bizarre drama featuring cross-dressing, gender reassignment, male pregnancy, feminism and authoritarianism – completing it in 1916, although it was not performed until June 1917 at the Théâtre Maubel.
This programme was issued under the aegis of Pierre Albert-Birot's 'SIC' (Sons Idées Couleurs) to which Apollinaire had contributed so much and which would publish eventually publish the play in book form with illustration by Serge Férat. The rear wrapper announces the serialisation of the play in the issue of Juillet 1917 but this did not occur and was replaced with excerpts taken from the vitriolic reviews - the reception of the play was controversial - published in the press. The book version, delayed by controversy and by war (the December 1917 issue
of SIC included an apology to those who had subscribed for the book concluding 'Nous sommes en guerre'), was finally issued in January 1918.
As noted above the 'Manifestation SIC' included verse by Max Jacob ('Perigal-Nohor'), Cocteau ('Zèbre'), Pierre Reverdy ('Mao-Tcha' dedicated to Apollinaire) and Albert-Birot (the calligramme 'Poème en Rond') as well as Picasso's cover illustration ( a reproduction of a drawing) and a woodcut by Matisse. As well as the list of 'Personnages' and the indication that the drama takes place 'à Zanzibar de nos jours',there is the note that 'La conférence annoncée est supprimée, le prologue en tenant lieu'. If the dramam proved so controversial, how much more so would the conference have been?
Featuring a mise en scène by the eventual publisher, Pierre Albert-Birot and music by Germaine Albert-Birot, Apollinaire dubbed the work 'drame Surréaliste' making 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias' the first consciously Surrealist work and certainly the first published work to feature 'Surréaliste' in its title. Apollinaire had first coined the neologism in his programme notes to Satie's 1916 ballet 'Parade', a work with costumes and set design by Picasso and a score that featured typewriters, aeroplane propellers, sirens, ticker tape and a lottery wheel.
The drama was performed on 24 June 1917.
It was during his long convalescence - he fought at the Marne in the First World War, receiving a shrapnel injury to the head for which he was trepanned - that Apollinaire returned to 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias' (he had begun the work as early as 1903) – the bizarre drama featuring cross-dressing, gender reassignment, male pregnancy, feminism and authoritarianism – completing it in 1916, although it was not performed until June 1917 at the Théâtre Maubel.
This programme was issued under the aegis of Pierre Albert-Birot's 'SIC' (Sons Idées Couleurs) to which Apollinaire had contributed so much and which would publish eventually publish the play in book form with illustration by Serge Férat. The rear wrapper announces the serialisation of the play in the issue of Juillet 1917 but this did not occur and was replaced with excerpts taken from the vitriolic reviews - the reception of the play was controversial - published in the press. The book version, delayed by controversy and by war (the December 1917 issue
of SIC included an apology to those who had subscribed for the book concluding 'Nous sommes en guerre'), was finally issued in January 1918.
As noted above the 'Manifestation SIC' included verse by Max Jacob ('Perigal-Nohor'), Cocteau ('Zèbre'), Pierre Reverdy ('Mao-Tcha' dedicated to Apollinaire) and Albert-Birot (the calligramme 'Poème en Rond') as well as Picasso's cover illustration ( a reproduction of a drawing) and a woodcut by Matisse. As well as the list of 'Personnages' and the indication that the drama takes place 'à Zanzibar de nos jours',there is the note that 'La conférence annoncée est supprimée, le prologue en tenant lieu'. If the dramam proved so controversial, how much more so would the conference have been?
Featuring a mise en scène by the eventual publisher, Pierre Albert-Birot and music by Germaine Albert-Birot, Apollinaire dubbed the work 'drame Surréaliste' making 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias' the first consciously Surrealist work and certainly the first published work to feature 'Surréaliste' in its title. Apollinaire had first coined the neologism in his programme notes to Satie's 1916 ballet 'Parade', a work with costumes and set design by Picasso and a score that featured typewriters, aeroplane propellers, sirens, ticker tape and a lottery wheel.
The drama was performed on 24 June 1917.
[2 bifolia: 4 unnumbered leaves including wrappers]. Small oblong folio. (256 x 285 mm). Leaf (front cover) with titles, justification and monochrome illustration by Picasso, verso with 'Perigal-Nohor' by Max Jacob, leaf with Jean Cocteau's 'Zèbre' recto and woodcut by Matisse verso, leaf with details of 'Les Mamelles de Tirésiass' including 'Personnages' etc. recto and 'Mao-Tcha' by Pierre Reverdy verso, leaf with Pierre Albert-Birot's 'Poème en Rond' recto, verso (rear cover) with advertisement for SIC and the announcement of the publication of 'Les Mamelles de Tirésias'. Original publisher's printed self-wrappers, stapled as issued (see above).
#48796
