"The Marionette" in Petrouchka

[nmitchell076]

Hello all, I am doing a final project for my "composition seminar" class.  In this project we are to (quoting the assignment sheet) "[Construct] a fully formed composition that involves the use of percussion instruments and/or electroacoustic instruments"

The idea I had was to have a recording of a great poem by a great orator play upon the recital hall's loudspeaker, then to have the actual composition be supportive of the spirit of the poem.  I settled upon using Marlon Brando's recitation of T. S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" from the movie "Apocalypse Now."  The poem opens with "We are the hollow men / We are the stuffed men."  And according to Eliot's wife Valerie, The poet had in mind the "Marionette" from Stravinsky's Petrouchka.  So, I was going to quote Stravinsky in my composition.  The trouble is, I'm not sure if she's referring specifically to the Title character, or to one of the other two puppets in the ballet.  I would hate to get the reference wrong and quote the wrong passage in my composition.  So if anyone could shed some lite on this for me, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks a ton in advance!

[faa2010]

"Petrouchka" is the name of the whole play, whose name is of the main character, a puppet (a marionette) with a soul.  The plot is somehow like the one of Pinnochio (when he is with the puppeteer), but darker and more somber in my point of view.

As an advice, you could go to the wikipedia to learn more about the play, to the wikipedia if you want to watch and listen to the play.

Maybe I should look beyond that poem, but I haven't heard that he got that as inspiration to wrote that line.

[nmitchell076]

Where I found it

page 210, near the top.  I never realized it either, but it makes sense.