On 13 and 14 March, the Astana Ballet Theater will once again be presenting the ballet-cantata “Carmina Burana” to audiences. Back in the summer, the premiere caused quite a stir among ballet admirers: for the first time, an orchestra, choir and ballet company performed together on the stage of the capital theatre.
The mystical and fascinating “Carmina Burana”, created by the expressionist composer Carl Orff, one of the most prominent German composers of the 20th century, served as the foundation for a philosophical and emotionally intense ballet. This musical composition is widely regarded as one of the most significant of its era, characterised by its distinctive vigour and its position at the intersection of academic tradition and popular culture.
The ballet “Carmina Burana” reflects on human nature, the sufferings and torments of the soul, and the inseparable connection between humans and higher powers. On the stage, the material and the spiritual, the creative and the destructive collide, thereby revealing the concept of the eternal movement of the wheel of Fortune, the flame of life and the renewal of the soul.
The plot revolves around two central characters: a young man and a young woman. They are attracted to each other by the harmony of love, yet they must overcome temptations and maintain purity of thought if they are to save themselves. The visual conception of the play draws upon the aesthetic principles espoused by Renaissance artists, in addition to the musical compositions of Orff. The forces of creation and destruction are personified by symbolic entities that have traditionally been associated with the Creator and the Destroyer.
The creation of the choreographic production involved outstanding people of art. The production was given scale and emotional depth by the music of Carl Orff, which formed its basis. The dramaturgy of the work was conveyed using expressive choreographic language by choreographers Mukaram Abubakhrieva (Avakhri) and Timur Zagidullin.
The performance’s choreography is a combination of neoclassical and contemporary styles, along with elements of movement improvisation. The musical part is performed by an orchestra, choir and soloists, all of which are conducted by Chief Conductor Arman Urazgaliyev. The performance of the vocal part was executed with the participation of the choir, under the direction of Gulmira Kuttybadamova, which facilitated the delivery of a performance of a remarkable scale and sound, capable of provoking a strong emotional response in the audience. The two-act production also includes performances by opera soloists, namely baritone Adil Sultan, tenor Talgat Allabirinov and soprano Firuza Rakhmetova, who perform the vocal parts of the work.
“Carmina Burana” is a large-scale, multi-genre work combining music, choreography, vocals, and lighting dramaturgy to create a philosophical exploration of the cycle of life and the triumph of love.