CARAVAGGIO

Bruno Moretti, Claudio Monteverdi
CARAVAGGIO
Staatsoper Unter den Linden, 2008

Soloists: Beatrice Knop, Polina Semionova, Vladimir Malakhov
Orchestra, Chorus: Staatsballett Berlin, Staatskapelle Berlin
Conductor: Paul Connelly
Choreographer: Mauro Bigonzetti
DVD Specials: MAKING OF CARAVAGGIOInterviews mit Mauro Bigonzetti, dem Produktionsteam und Solisten, inklusive Backstage- und Probeaufnahmen

Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, has entered history due to his paintings of dramatic intensity. Caravaggio used to venture the threshold beyond the pale throughout his life. He was seen for admiration of his work and harsh opposition towards his extraordinary realism in painting human beings. Due to his passionate personality, he encountered more than several confl icts with people around him, sponsors, and the law. One of his foremost artistic twists was the extreme contrast between brightness and darkness, light and shadow. Mauro Bigonzetti is one of the leading choreographers of the Italian ballet which freed itself from the predominance of mainly classical opera companies in the 80’s. He created his choreographies mainly for the Aterballetto in Reggio Emilia that helped him to fame and worldwide attention. “When I think of Caravaggio, I think of the artist and the human being at the same time. These are the two sides of the human existence that interest me in particular. The relations of these two worlds are the inspiration for this work: the inner world on the one hand – and how it evolves artistically on the other.” Mauro Bigonzetti has developed the piece CARAVAGGIO in collaboration with the Staatsballett Berlin.

"Bigonzetti's choreography is dynamic, fusing some elements of classical ballet to what is essentially modern dance. [...] Bruno Moretti assembled the score from various works by Caravaggio's close contemporary, Claudio Monteverdi. [...] It's romanticized Monteverdi, but it fits the stage action perfectly. [...] Bigonzetti's Caravaggio is a puzzling work, but it's beautifully performed; for both reasons, it invites multiple viewings." Fanfare, November/Dezember 2009

"Das Staatsballett zeigt dabei eindrucksvoll, über welch hohes Niveau die Compaigne verfügt. […] Ein Ereignis ist natürlich Vladimir Malakhov, der seine Soli und Pas de deux mit einer reichen Ausdruckspalette präsentiert. Sein Auftritt mit Leonard Jakovina ("Matthäus und der Engel") ist besonders stark." Marion Eckels, Orpheus , März/April 2011