Sunday, July 20, 2008

Che puro ciel !



There are some things that should be better left indescribed. Pina Bausch's Orphée et Euridice last night at the Epidaurus was one of them. A night of pure magic, a night at the most ancient open Theatre on the planet, with full moon (was it?), is totally expected to end up with you having moist eyes, standing on your feet and applauding for what you just witnessed, this astral moment, the reason people go to the opera for (sane people at least).

Pina Bausch has become something like a resident of the Athens Festival. The greeks adore her and every performance that carries her signature is definitely going to be a sell out. And for a good reason: her Art speaks to the heart. With simplicity. White, black, red, a movement, a touch, straight to the heart. Goal!

As you can see, I shot almost no photos during the performance. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. I was helpless, holding my stupid microphone as if high technology could possibly record magic. Crap!! In this theatre, on these rocks, under that sky, with people I love next to me, it was not just a little piece of Heaven. It was happiness.

The Theatre, the set.

Sunset



Marie-Agnés Gillot and Svetlana Doneva (Euridice dancer, Euridice singer)


Yann Bridard and Maria Riccarda Wesseling (Orphée dancer and Orphée singer)


The Cast


Pina Bausch next to Yann Bridard


Pina Bausch and the cast


Fiori per Pina Bausch

If you were intrigued enough, read stuff about this beautiful Orphée et Euridice here and here

or alternatively watch these 1 / 2


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

ontws prepei na itan mia poli wraia parastasi...krima pou den tin eida!
tixere parsi!

Willym said...

"In this theatre, on these rocks, under that sky, with people I love next to me, it was not just a little piece of Heaven. It was happiness."

And that my dearest Parsi says it all. I am so happy reading this that I cannot even feel envy ... though I am envious.

Anonymous said...

Mikri parigoria- i atmosfaira den anaparagetai, alla i parastasi iparxei (Rapidshare links) sto operashare, sti metadosi tou ARTE to Fevrouario

Parsifal said...

Nai, kai me poly kalh eikona! Tha sas edina k th dikh mou hxografhsh alla de nomizw na thelei kaneis na akouei 2 wres tzitzikia....

Willym said...

It was almost a full moon last night - we saw it rise over the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. Sadly as you were having a wonderous experience we were suffering through the worst Aida I've ever seen. I'm not sure I am even going to post about it but the best singing came from the Messenger in Act I.

Anonymous said...

JUST AWSOME. I was lucky enough to see this performance back in 2005, at the Opera de Paris. But there was something more touching to see it in Epidaurus. I was there on saturday, a hot humid, heavy night. Magical. Who gives a damn about the not perfect acoustics (for opera)of the theatre or the cigalle chorus?
Kudos to the Balthassar-Neumann Ensemble and it's conductor Hangelbrock. A well thought, well rehearsed, nicly excecuted performance, albeit extreme heat that affects the sonority of period instruments: I HOPE SOME MEDIOCRE BATON WHIRLERS were there to see that professionalism and rehearsal work EVERYWHERE, even with 36 C, even with period instruments. Yes, it is last year's BUTCHER of Cherubini's Medea that I have in mind! (PUT THE BLAME ON HEAT LUCAS K. , PUT THE BLAME ON HEAT!)

Parsifal said...

Lukas Karytinos is a curse for opera in Greece. And i totally agree with you on the Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble! They were great! Beautiful sound, polished despite the strange accoustics of the Theatre.