Schläpfer/ van Manen/ Sandroni
This is the contemporary programm of the ballet of the Munich Oper. I went last Saturday, where I could once more get the student tickets: 1O€ for a seat in the stalls.
My first comment would be that contemporary would not have been the word I would have used to describe the evening. Néo-classical would have been more appropriate.
The first piece, Cambio d'abito, by the Italian Sandroni.. A quite colourful piece, where people keep on changing clothes, putting on and off new clothes, and occasionally dancing. The choreography is not uninteresting, the music nice to listen to (Bach) but you still wonder where the whole point is. Anyway.
The second piece, ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER, by van Manen, for three couples, on Beethoven music. It's a very beautiful piece, full of sensibility, reminding me of "In the Night" by Jerome Robbins. Here, the beautiful Lucia Lacarra is shining from the beginning, with her incredible arabesques and développés. This is a moment of pure pleasure. Although I did not find the piece a masterpiece, I definitely enjoyed watching it.
Finally, Viola Konzert II, on the less tonal music by Sofia Gubaidulina, choreographes by Schläpfer, did not totally convinced me. The style definitely reminded me of a mixture of "Le Mandarin Merveilleux" and "The Firebird" by Béjart, but without the genious in it. The scenography was right, all in black and white, with one red light moving from left to the center. The choreography was technical, girls on pointshoes. But somehow somtehing was missing. Lucia Lacarra's legs were overemployed here, as if she could only dance on slow music, and do nothing else but stretch her legs higher and higher. Cyril Pierre somehow disappointed me in comparison with other male soloists, who really hit the roof there. Nevertheless, I had not read the synopsis before and still don't know what the whole was all about.
So, in the end, a nigth with very good things and other less good. But contemporary, it xas certainely not. I don't know if the Munich Ballet could cope with somtehing highly contemporary. Maybe this is indeed where the strength of the Paris Opera Ballet is...
Photos: Bayerische Staatsoper