MAESTRO

Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sets: Jiří Kylián
Costumes: Joke Visser
Lighting: Jiří Kylián and Joop Caboort

Scenery and Costumes courtesy of
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET

In Petite Mort, a internationally acclaimed gem of contemporary dance, choreographer Jiří Kylián draws inspiration from Mozart's enchanting Piano Concertos No. 21 and No. 23, celebrating the alchemy of bodies. He stages a ballet of seduction where foils, extending from the men’s arms, and hoop skirts, enveloping the women’s bodies, become symbols of desire and seduction. The two sexes meet, challenge, and blend with voluptuousness, culminating in ecstasy.

Choreography: Jiří Kylián
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sets and Costumes: Jiří Kylián
Lighting: Jiří Kylián and Joop Caboort

With Sechs Tänze (Six Dances), Jiří Kylián embraces Mozart’s eponymous work written in 1789 and transports the dance into a world where lightness and mischief coexist. The dancers, adorned with wigs and powdered, evolve in a burlesque register. However, behind this comedic facade, the choreographer does not forget to underline the tumultuous context of the late 18th century, marked by wars and revolutions in Europe. This duality, between the lightness of the performance and the gravity of the era, gives Sechs Tänze a depth and historical resonance, reminding us of art’s ability to reflect and transcend the turmoil of its time.

Choreography: Garrett Smith
Music: Ludwig Van Beethoven
Sets: Michael Mazzola
Costumes: Monica Guerra
Lighting: Marc Parent

Also illustrating ballet’s ability to transcend time and genres, is Complete, the choreography of Garrett Smith created on Beethoven's famous Symphony No. 5, known as the Symphony of Destiny. Capturing the power and four-note motif of this classic music masterpiece, Smith celebrates individual uniqueness and the strength of self-acceptance: an ode to difference and regained freedom as 'fate knocks at the door' and masks fall.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 in four movements is a landmark work in the history of music. The iconic melody starts with four distinctive notes:—three short notes, followed by one long note—the symphony’s unmistakable and omnipresent opening motif. It is commonly believed that with these four notes, Beethoven wanted to symbolize fate knocking at man’s door. It was on December 22, 1808 that the “Symphony of Fate” was performed for the first time at an immense concert as the composer was about to leave Vienna.

In addition to the Fifth Symphony, the evening’s program included Symphony No 6 (the “Pastoral”), Piano Concerto No 4, played by Beethoven himself, two movements from the Mass, the aria Ah! Perfido, and Choral Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra (Op. 80). Unfortunately, the musicians had a poor handle on the new, complex sheet music and their performance wasn’t up to snuff, and Symphony No 5 - an unusual composition unveiled at the end of a four-hour concert—failed to win over the tired, inattentive audience. It was only later, thanks to artist, writer, composer and critic (and The Nutcracker author) E.T.A. Hoffmann, that the piece was finally acknowledged as a masterpiece. In fact, Hoffman published a long, glowing review in which he described the symphony as an “irresistible” work that “transports the listener through ever-growing climaxes into the spiritual realm of the infinite.”

Over 200 years have passed since the premiere of the extraordinary Symphony no. 5, a jewel of the symphonic repertoire. Performed countless times all over the world, the work unquestionably demonstrates the creator’s genius, innovating both technically and in regard to its emotional impact. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony remains a seminal work of the classical repertoire and continues to inspire composers and creators from every walk of life as one of Beethoven’s most groundbreaking symphonies.