Gorgon in the Blue Room explores how Diamanda Galás transforms terror into a ritual act of sonic reprisal. This groundbreaking study examines Galás’ creative process through the lens of mimetic apotropaism—the practice of embodying horror to deflect it. Drawing on extensive conversations with Galás centered on the apotropaic myth of Medusa and bringing the artist’s reflections into dialogue with close readings of Greek and Latin sources and performance theory, Zanchi articulates a compelling apologia for monstrosity, positioning both Medusa and Galás as figures of power. This volume situates Galás within traditions of lament and incantation and in dialogue with figures such as Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Michaux, Artaud, and Seneca’s Medea. It also introduces Operational Intentionalism, a collaborative methodology that approaches artistic creation through the artist’s own account of process, technique, and intention, offering a nuanced framework for understanding how extreme states of consciousness are structured through composition and performance. This book is essential reading for scholars and students of performance studies, musicology, classical reception, voice studies, and contemporary experimental music, as well as for anyone interested in the intersections of trauma, ritual, and artistic transformation.
