Distribution
Conductor: Vlad Conta
Ada Gonzalez – Sergiu Dan
Bucharest National Opera
* The institution reserves the right to make changes in the casts of the performances if the situation requires them.
Ada Gonzalez – Sergiu Dan
Bucharest National Opera
Ada Gonzalez – Sergiu Dan
Bucharest National Opera
Conductor: Vlad Conta
Ada Gonzalez – Sergiu Dan
Bucharest National Opera
Conductor: Tiberiu Soare (debut)
Ada Gonzalez – Sergiu Dan
Bucharest National Opera
Dear audience of the Bucharest National Opera,
I am delighted to present our new ballet performance dedicated to two giants of music history: Ludwig van Beethoven and Igor Stravinsky. These works created for the Wiener Staatsoper, when I was the director of the ballet, will be presented in a revised form. The strong inspiration I received from the dancers of the Bucharest National Opera and Octavian Neculai's new scenographic conception helped me to bring this creation to a higher level.
Renato Zanella
OPUS 73 (Endless Love)
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Opus 73, by Ludwig van Beethoven, also known to the world as the "Imperial Concerto", is a masterpiece. His conception, fluidity, strength, balance, maturity and inspiration, made the last piano concerto he wrote a landmark in the musical world.
This choreography is a tribute to my company today, a company with a strong classical base and formidable potential in all dance styles.
The piano concerto, which is divided into Allegro in E flat major, Adagio un poco moto in B major and Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo in E flat major, does not follow a narrative thread.
It is possible that the work was dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte and his greatness, and the title "Opus 73" was added by Baptist Cramen, an English publisher. There are definitely grandiose elements in this music of a unique grandeur, but also an incredible sensitivity that we can find in the second part.
I consider Adagio to be a love letter to a loved one. Seven notes that can create a universe of sounds, five positions that can create a universe of movement. Music, dance and respect – these elements are what my creation, Opus 73, is all about.
The Rite of Spring
Beethoven was a revolutionary. Not just in the obvious sense, that he took music in a new direction, but he was an artist infused with the idea of revolution. Crucial for a complete appreciation of Beethoven's music is the knowledge of the times in which he lived, the understanding of some tumultuous events taking place in Europe, bringing with them new currents and ideas.
Igor Stravinsky, on the other hand, was a revolutionary who pushed the boundaries of musical creation. "Le Sacre du printemps" is one of the major examples. With its premiere at the Champs Élysées in 1913, it caused a radical change in dance and in the history of dance composition. For a choreographer it is necessary to confront this music and its meaning. My interpretation was inspired by the war in Yugoslavia, hard times for the whole of Europe. Personally, I was marked by the complexity of the ethnic and religious context, and above all, by the brutality of the conflict. The hopes of the youth were dashed by the destruction of family and loved ones.
Is war the new ritual of humanity? Does the past and fear of the future cause us to return to violence as a form of excuse and in order to protect peace?
A young couple arrives in a village in springtime and are welcomed with open arms by the villagers. Despite the beauty and harmony of the dance, a group of sages decide that this couple should be sacrificed. The temple gate opens, and the villagers' hospitality, through manipulation, turns into aggression and hatred.
