THE CHORONZON MACHINE

Video Stills (selected by Orryelle from the footage of Michael Schoell and Peter Haren), Audio samples, Script extracts and Lyrics from the Ritual Opera:


SCENE 4 (EMPEROR)/ 15 (DEVIL/PAN):


P-chink [Lights fade up]

In his union with the EMPRESS the FOOL has become the EMPEROR. He sits in throne in the centre of the bright half of the Lemniscate.

JACKALS 1&2 bring out the EMPEROR and DEVIL/PAN cards. JACKAL 1 turns the WHEEL to its fourth position.

EMPEROR is looking at CHORONZON/BEAST mask he was wearing in the last scene. He holds it up, considers it then rejects and throws it across the stage into the dark half of the Lemniscate.
CHORONZON in the shadows puts the mask back on and runs in on all fours as PAN/DEVIL with horns and dances bestially around EMPEROR. Every time CHORONZON sniffs at either shoulder of EMPEROR, he looks the other way, acting very dignified and refusing to acknowledge the Beast.



Eventually CHORONZON confronts him head on and the EMPEROR looks at him, reluctantly at first, then finally breathes deep, stands up and stares intensely into CHORONZON's eyes, accepting this part of himself.

JACKALS 1 & 2 bring the EMPEROR and PAN Cards together (in Cardhouse), as the beast mask is removed to reveal the irridescent turqoise face (with peacock feather ajna) of MELEK TAUS/SHAITAN, the peacock angel - the 'devil'/shadow is beautiful once embraced.



MELEK TAUS SONG:

Playing/loading is a short extract from the 'Melek Taus' track from The CHORONZON MACHINE CD Music (c)02 The HarleQuintet.

From putrescence,
To irridescence

Peacock angel, Feri lord and lady bright
Lucifer oh bringer of light,
Illumine shadows you created
Master-mistress of duality,
Crafter of reality

You split the spectrum, Refract the light
From Nigri Solis to Cauda Pavonis
The colours the colours�'

CHORONZON/MELEK's hunch-back hump opens into a spectacular fan of peacock feathers on the Chorus:

Melek Taus, Melek Taus, Lord of the Painted Fan

BABALON/EMPRESS dances onstage in middle-eastern instrumental and Emperor dances around with her in lemniscate patterns.




Eventually she lures him into a bed which JACKAL 2 lays out for them.
The EMPEROR tokes on a hookah then hands it to the EMPRESS...

[Lights fade]




Jackal OneThird asks:







Put another Coin in The Choronzon Machine





Images (except where noted otherwise) and text copyright (c)02 Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule
Animated Cogs courtesy of SevenOaksArt

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