But this Saturday, November 5, the anniversary month will be ushered in with the premiere of a new production titled: "Serenade. Carmina Burana", which involves staging two entire ballet performances in one evening.
The artistic director of the ballet, Aivars Leimanis, has long had a dream of two works that he would like to see on the stage of Rīga's 'White House'. One, Serenade, is one of the ballets of the legendary choreographer George Balanchine, the other is a ballet based on Carl Orff's monumental cantata Carmina Burana.
In anticipation of the centenary of the ballet, the stars have aligned in such a way that it became possible, and a new production was created, in which the two works will be seen together.
"Serenade by George Balanchine is considered one of the cornerstones of dance history. This visually poetic choreography was originally created for ballet students. The ballet Serenade is based on Peter Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for String Orchestra in C Major and was first performed in 1934," says advance publicity material.
As for the second part of the double bill: "Edward Clug's contemporary choreography is based on the legendary oratorio Carmina Burana by German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982), which illustrates the twists and turns of human life subject to the whims of fate. The cantata uses a medieval collection of poetry found in a Bavarian monastery, which deals with various themes: the impermanence of success and wealth, the fleeting nature of life, the coming of spring, and the pleasures and miseries of drink and lust."
The ballet's new production of "Serenade. Carmina Burana" will be premiered on November 5th and will kick off our ballet centenary month, culminating in a spectacular finale concert on December 1st.
Full details of upcoming performances are available at: https://www.opera.lv/en/home
