„Carmina Burana", SND – Slovenské Národné Divadlo, Bratislava: May 20th, 2023

May 22

May 22 „Carmina Burana", SND – Slovenské Národné Divadlo, Bratislava: May 20th, 2023

On my way from Vienna to Bratislava, I realized that I have lost count of how many stagings and versions of „Carmina Burana" I have seen in the past, ever since I started dancing – and that covers quite a pretty range of productions in many years.

I remember when in the 70s and 80s, all of a sudden, every third contemporary company seemed to have „discovered" Carl Orff and „Carmina Burana" but unfortunately never „Catulli Carmina", which I particularly consider, musically, a „notch above" in its elegant details and sophistication.

But this is just a question of taste and, „stealing" Clive Barnes' words, I am not here to write about my opinion, just to write a critique.

Despite all this - I follow Mr. Clug's work with great curiosity and profound respect combined with enormous admiration (and this for years) - I was sure that we would experience another kind of reading of this most „popular" work. I could not have been more right.

Mr. Clug in many points of the (short) work (63' on average), decodes this most profane cantata, minimizing, reducing. Constantly.

Mostly at the cost of the movements.

„Ece gratum" and “In Taberna” for example, pieces „organically" destined for quick jumps, delight, extreme frolicking, and fun, turned out in contrast to be a nearly static piece, as many other parts of the composition. Static is the key word for this review.

A new reading definitely, in which „poses" play a definite role, and, here we are confronted with two questions: Is this Dance? Or is it not? We should not forget one thing: Dance is (also) what happens between two poses – a pose is something for a statue - the movements in-between, for example, are what we call Dance .

No question that the effect created (most notably by the two lines of dancers, that are facing each other) by the lines of all arms is magnificently impressing and beautiful and magnetic to our senses – but I ask once more: Is this dance?

The great „Show" Manager, Ziegfeld, created similar effects as his chorus girls walked down the never-ending stairs of the „Follies". It was not considered dance but a Show routine with an extreme effect.

There is the questioning issue once more: Static…

The lyrics played no role in his conception. Edward Clug ignored them.

Just the melodies seem to have suggested inspiration regardless of the story they tell.

But, to put it quite plainly, for the result, he could have used any other music not relying on the (popular) notorious fame of „Carmina", which anyway draws the public to performances, into theatres.

It is more than understandable when a choreographer wants to create something abstract and not tell a „story". But it is also quite understandable that for a big part of the audience - the one that has the musical breeding and the necessary understanding about this profane cantata - it is quite difficult to „disconnect" from the lyrics and pretend that they do not exist.

Adding to that, it is difficult to hear at the same time the most dynamic of music passages and witness a static - beautiful and enchanting, naturally, but static - staging filled with poses, who move too little, and their effects.

We can cite the lyrics from „In Trutina" for a better explanation: The solo had absolutely nothing to do with the lyrics, although beautifully „danced" by Viola Mariner, a gifted dancer who possesses not only a beautiful delicacy physically but is also in command of the exquisite, nearly fragile (and quite difficult) art of dancing the most strenuous parts delicately.

“In Trutina mentis dubia

fluctuant contraria

lascivus amor et pudicitia

Sed eligo quod videi,

collum iugo prebeo;

ad iugum tamen suave, suave transeo”

It is very difficult, nearly impossible to disconnect from SUCH lyrics, which have been ignored, and pretend they do not exist. That they are not being heard. They exist, even in a dead language. “In Trutina” is the moment that Orff connoisseurs are waiting for. Perhaps the real Highlight of the whole cantata. Therefore it gets even more attention - and the confrontation with lyrics that have nothing to do with the movements becomes even more “noticed”. This is a fact.

Although there is a beautiful concept behind this project, that is where Edward Clug was surprisingly mistaken with his “Carmina” – either in ignoring its „story-telling" qualities or in not using other musical sources instead of Orff, he gave his composition a pathetic image. A kind of indefinable place of existence. It is something that I would not out into the category of a dance Evening. It is beautiful - but it is something else… Do you remember Ilie Nastase’s quote about Björn Borg? “We are playing tennis. He is playing something else”. That is it! "Clug’s “Carmina” is extremely appealing to our eyes and senses - this Evening is more than worth watching and enjoying for the sake of a new experience in the Theatre. But it is “something else”!

Just today I read two passages of the programme that made extreme sense for me in understanding Mr. Clug's target with this work:

„It is characterized by the absence of a storyline" and

„The forefront is pure dance, which may or may not have been motivated by music".

Both sentences reconfirmed and reinforced my initial thoughts that the written choreography could have used any other music. One in which a story and feeling are described in its lyrics.

But don't let this neither bother nor influence you. It is just an analysis of what is sometimes wrongly called „The aesthetics of the 2020s” (!?!?) in Dance but does not diminish the interesting and (very well) conceived stage (Marko Japelj), lighting (Tomaž Premzl) and costume (Lei Kulaš) designs which are more than perfect.

Their cooperation with Edward Clug turns the whole concept into something you delight in, especially in its gorgeous plasticity.

A „group work" for the dancers, Clug's „Carmina" has few solos. Soloists and Corps de Ballet are all at the same level of importance during the performance. A very democratic way of sharing the stage.

Just one „main couple", Romina Kolodziej and Adrian Szelle, experienced dancers who delivered a sensitive reading of their roles as also mentioned before, Viola Mariner.

I still have to mention that the whole ensemble is in top form. It is important to mention its discipline, and precision that reflects the feeling of being together, in the sense of a „company".

It is good to see such young dancers, in all group scenes, listening to, and "feeling" (not only emotionally but also within the space) the next dancer, the whole ensemble. Being, breathing together. A rare thing in present times in which people tend to be so self-centered.

Ever since I began taking the SND more and more under my „magnifying glass ", a period which coincided with Nina Poláková's new era as the Artistic director, the company has been making such fine progress, visible from month to month, from performance to performance. And this is most pleasing. And especially important to Central Europe.

A highly recommendable show.

Next performances: May 23rd, 24th & 27th and June 2nd

Ricardo Leitner

a t t i t u d e

May 21st, 2023