The program consisted of two long pieces with an intermission. The first dance, Migration, in six parts, was composed to natural sounds, particularly bird sounds as well as water, etc. The movement was jittery and inventive, and there was unbelievably complex pas de deux that mesmerized me. I confess, at first I was disappointed that the music wasn't more "musical", but I quickly became entranced.
The second part of the program, Scheherazade, was the real treat of the evening. First of all the sets and lighting were stunning. The music was percussive, based on traditional Persian sound and using such unusual instruments as the duduk, one of the oldest double reed instruments in the world, the ney, the only wind instrument in classical Arabic music and dating back to the pyramids, and the percussion instruments the daf, the daira and the tombak. Of course I got this information from the program and know very little about these instruments, but I can say the sound was thrilling.
The ballet performed to this music was ethereal and earthy at the same time, and the quirky and impossible movements, like in Migration, were so complex and unique. It was a truly singular experience. Scheherazade also included a hypnotic pas de deux.
No comments:
Post a Comment