Poster designed by Adam Żebrowski | picture: Creasource/Corbis.
Already in a week?s time, the Polish National Ballet (PBN) will premiere a new ballet evening. On 29 March Teatr Wielki ? Polish National Opera will host the debut of Obsessions which brings together Krzysztof Pastor?s new choreography Adagio & Scherzo, a revival of his Moving Rooms, and Emil Wesołowski?s Returning waves. Moving Rooms was originally part of the Echoes of Time evening; its inclusion in Obsessions is not the first time that the PBN has taken a part of a large-scale ballet evening and adapted it for a small stage to be presented in a more intimate atmosphere. The three pieces? common denominator are obsessions: music themes reoccurring in an obsessive fashion, obsessive search for something and for oneself, obsessive repetitiveness of actions and emotions.
The new choreography, Adagio & Scherzo, was created specifically for the PBN?s dancers, and was inspired, as Pastor stresses, by their personalities. One of the themes this piece, constructed without any distinctive plot, explores is searching for yourself in relations with other people. Immediate inspiration came from Franz Schubert, namely two movements of his String Quintet in C major, D 956. Adagio & Scherzo is Marta Fiedler?s debut as costume designer: the PBN?s first soloist has been designing costumes for the Creations choreographic workshops held at the PBN for many years ? this time she has had a chance to put her designing skills into a premiere of a choreography by the director of Warsaw?s ballet. The stage and visual projections for this part of the evening were designed by Małgorzata Szabłowska.
Emil Wesołowski?s Returning waves set to music by Mieczysław Karłowicz is well-known not only to Warsaw?s audience, as it has also been staged in Poznań?s Grand Theatre. This time it is presented in a new form, fit for a smaller stage. The intimate space where the ballet unfolds (stage design by Boris Kudlička) with a table characteristically situated in its centre, sees a drama of two people, with a man and a woman struggling through their difficult relationship, mutual accusations, break-ups and reunions. The two hurt one another with a growing force and punish each other for the pain they suffer.
Regular ballet-goers will certainly welcome the revival of Krzysztof Pastor?s Moving Rooms to music by Alfred Schnittke and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki. Painted with movement and lighting (designed by Bert Dalhuysen), the ballet generates a powerful dose of energy and making abundant use of the dancers? varied movement and plastic qualities. Inspiration with music, the merger of music and dance, is the central aspect of the ballet, exerting the strongest effect on the audience. The PBN?s director has revealed that he was asked to show the choreography in the USA and different locations abroad, and this was also a factor in devising Obsessions as an evening fit for a smaller stage, easier to present during a tour abroad.
Edited by: Katarzyna Gardzina-Kubała
English translation by: IMiT
Obsessions will be presented at Teatr Wielki on: 30 March, 9 & 10 May, and 14, 15 & 28 June
***
Adagio & Scherzo
world premiere
Choreography: Krzysztof Pastor
Music: Franz Schubert – String Quintet in C major,
D. 956, movements 2, 3
Stage Designer & Projections: Małgorzata Szabłowska
Costume Designer: Marta Fiedler
Lighting Designer: Maciej Igielski
Returning Waves
premiere
Choreography: Emil Wesołowski
Music: Mieczysław Karłowicz
Set Designer: Boris Kudlička
Costume Designer: Irena Biegańska
Lights: Maciej Igielski
Moving Rooms
revival
Choreography: Krzysztof Pastor
Music: Alfred Schnittke – Concerto grosso I
(Cadenza – Rondo – Postludio),
Henryk Mikołaj Górecki – Concert for Harpsichord
and String Orchestra, Op. 40
Costume Deisgner: Oliver Haller
Lighting Designer: Bert Dalhuysen
Polish National Ballet
Music from recordings
Pictured: Krzysztof Pastor’s Moving Rooms, photo by Ewa Krasucka
Poster designed by Adam Żebrowski | picture: Creasource/Corbis
