Dušan Radić
The Ballad of the vagabond moon
### The Ballad of the vagabond moon

*The Ballad of the vagabond moon*, a ballet in three scenes, Radić composed in 1957 after the libretto by [Bora Ćosić](/wiki/Bora_%C4%86osi%C4%87 "Bora Ćosić"). The ballet's socio\-psychological plot tinted by fantasy, Radić set to music by prevalently neoclassic expression, with particular attention devoted to rhythm which frequently implies jazz. He also reworked the music from this ballet into a concert suite.
 
Prologue and Scene One: The Poet, otherwise a clerk in a science institute, consistently feels that he does not belong to the world surrounding him – at the soccer game, at the beach, and through the failure with his secretary. Persuaded by his counterpart, by his ironical\-rational alter ego, he ventures into search for his love ideal among the stars, exchanging roles with the Moon. 
 
Scene Two: The Poet's quest is futile–he does not find the one he is looking for. The green comet is unsuccessfully luring him; the public opinion of the Universe is offended by his indifference, and the Poet is finally forced to escape by jumping back to Earth.

Scene Three: On Earth, the Poet is still searching for the woman of his dreams; momentarily it seems as he had found her in a pub, but what follows is yet another disappointment and he continues his vagabond pursuit (Peričić 1969: 409\).

The actual content of the ballet, although unusual, somewhat reflects everyday life (including particular local Belgrade neighborhoods and spots like [Dorćol](/wiki/Dor%C4%87ol "Dorćol") and Mažestik) and certain composer's formal interventions created a hybrid form—e.g., the narrator who intervenes in the plot and among the ballet dancers, as well as jazz elements and a jazz band on the stage. The event when the Poet declares “Alone on the stage,” potentially leads toward the voidance of distinction between performers and audience as an exit from the work itself, its self\-relativization, and as an anticipation of a significant element of contemporary theatre in general. A remarkable ballet scene takes place at the very end, when during a true ironic shift the Poet kills the Felo\-de\-se in a tavern (*kafana*), over glum sonorities of the authentic *kafana* music, lacking tragedy, in other words routinely, but also lacking the gravity that could possibly hinder the work's imposed vaudeville character. Radić explained the background of his ballet as follows:

“As a young composer, the beginner, I was alarmed by the new revelations, new information, and still vivid memories of the war (WW II) horrors. After the adolescent fervor dwindled and staring eyes took another, more realistic look at life, the world became a burlesque, and I obscured over\-serious issues by imagination. Experience taught me to play the game much cooler and to take incidents light\-heartedly. I then turned to the theatre and started writing ballet and opera, with an idea to offer the audience encouragement in solving their life issues. The Vagabond plot is conceived as a romantic love ‘above all,’ as a light and humble tale about a poetic soul and his ever\-present illusions. My intention was to subtly guide the audience to thinking about mechanical machinery of the present time through sometimes upbeat and sometimes somber music and picturesque verses, to shake up their spirit and their, as Charlie Chaplin would frame it, ‘modern time’ idle spiritual activities. The more variety in the play, thus there is more pep in music and more picturesque scenes with a subtle message ‘all’s well that ends well.’ I believe that the animating libretto and dance\-like music open ample possibilities for a rich, contemporary idiom\-bound theatre event....To mention another peculiarity, I interspersed stylized rhythmic and melodic [jazz](/wiki/Jazz "Jazz") elements throughout the work in a non\-obstructive manner. The third scene even features an authentic jazz quintet in a bar setting. I would think that the incorporation of [pantomime](/wiki/Pantomime "Pantomime") and contained acrobatics would enhance customary expression of classical ballet.”


What inspired the composer to write The Ballad of the vagabond moon?