By Ronnie Rocket, in Charlottenburg-Berlin.
Photo: Copyright Enrico Nawrath.
Tonight the Staatballet Berlin marks the new season opening with the traditional opening gala show. There are three German premieres supervised by maestro Vladimir Malakhov and the performance is also the return of solo dancer Shoko Nakamura to the stage after her year long maternity leave.
Here is the official introduction from the Staatsballett’s web site:
Once a year the company of Staatsballett Berlin makes his audience – and itself – a special present. With the ballet gala we are celebrating the prelude of our new season. Choreographic masterpieces, curiosities of ballet history or complete new contemporary pieces will be performed. The special nature of this event is always the programme. What the artists would like to show to the audience is co-sculpting the evening. Therefore surprises should be taken into account.
The performances includes eight pieces in two sets.
- “Araz” with music from Philip Glass: Songs & Poems, Tissue No. 6
- “Barocco” with music from Georg Friedrich Händel
- “Carmen” with music from Georges Bizet
- “Clear” with music from Johann Sebastian Bach: Concert for oboe, violin and strings BWV 1060 2nd movement
- “Rast der Kavallerie” with music from Johann Armsheimer
- “Sonett XVIII” with music from Philip Glass: Metamorphosis No. 4 / No. 2
- “The Sofa“ with music from Tom Waits: “Nobody”
- “Die vier Jahreszeiten” with music from Giuseppe Verdi: Divertissment 3rd act “I vespri siciliani“
As a “warm-up” service you can listen to the music on this selection of music clips. Some of them are old recordings – some even with the sounds of vinyl scratches – and some of them includes rare video footage.
Enjoy the music and break a leg to all the dancers tonight. I look forward to the show!
1. “Araz” with music from Philip Glass: Songs & Poems, Tissue No. 6
Choreographed by: Zeynep Tanbay
Dancing: Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, Vladimir Malakhov
2. “Barocco” with music from Georg Friedrich Händel: Serse Aria ”Ombra mai fu” HWV40
Choreographed by: Renato Zanella
Dancing: Rainer Krenstetter
3. “Carmen” with music from Georges Bizet
Choreographed by: Roland Petit
Dancing: Polina Semionova, Ibrahim Önal
4. “Clear” with music from Johann Sebastian Bach: Concert for oboe, violin and strings BWV 1060 2nd movement
Choreographed by: Stanton Welch
Assistance: Dawn Scannell
Dancing: Vladimir Malakhov, Mikhail Kaniskin, Maria Boumpouli
5. “Rast der Kavallerie” with music from Johann Armsheimer
Watch a rare performance here (not embeddable): Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
Choreographed by: Marius Petipa
Dancing: Sebnem Gülseker, Marian Walter
6. “Sonett XVIII” with music from Philip Glass: Metamorphosis No. 4 / No. 2
Choreographed by: Tim Plegge
Costumes: Judith Adam
Text by: Steven Hall
Narrator: Michael Rotschopf
Sound mix: Andreas Gockel
Dancing: Nadja Saidakova, Vladislav Marinov
7. “The Sofa“ with music from Tom Waits: “Nobody”
Choreographed by: Itzik Galili
Dancing: Soraya Bruno, Michael Banzhaf, Leonard Jakovina
8. “Die vier Jahreszeiten” with music from Giuseppe Verdi: Divertissment 3rd act “I vespri siciliani“
Choreographed by: Vladimir Malakhov
Music by: Giuseppe Verdi
Dancing: Beatrice Knop, Shoko Nakamura, and more.
CLASSICAL20.COM 
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