"Pathétique", première, Vienna State Ballet (Wiener Staatsballett), April 9th, 2025.

A long-awaited moment for the ballet public in Vienna – Mr Schläfer's last première at the Vienna State Opera. Pathétique.

A very (let us be kind!) “eclectic” programme with three choreographies that, having nothing in common, do not, in any way, augment each other. This, apart from the fact that (now I am talking as if I were in a Las Vegas show) the concept of the evening used George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham as „opening-acts“, the same way Liberace used Barbra Streisand (who even as a rising Star was much better that he was) to open the evening. Egocentrism and overestimation.

It was decades since I had last seen Mr B's „Divertimento # 15“, a beautiful high standard choreographical exercise in musicality and delicacy using Mozart's music. Perhaps Balanchine's work with the most effective and inventive „exits“ from the stage.

The casting was very precise and, with only two or three exceptions, very „physically harmonic“, homogenous, and uniform.

Natalya Butchko and Kiyoka Nashimoto delighted the audience with their precise appearances, delicate but strong. Timoor Afshar, Masayu Kimoto, and Davide Dato gave the piece substance blended with strong, manly presences. Needless to say, all the above-mentioned dancers gave extremely pin-pointed technical displays in the best Balanchine tradition.

Isabella Knights, a dancer from the Corps de Ballet, made a good impression. A very good „attitude“ on stage. I am looking forward to watching more of her!

Hyo-Jung Kang was, as this is her tendency, always ahead of the music and Sonia Dvorak, unfortunately, in trouble. Musically.

Copyright: Vienna State Ballet / Ashley Taylor

Olga Esina, even dancing „just“ the second variation, „stole“ the show. I will use here a comment which I have heard from an „everyday Ballet goer“: “Olga is our Olga”. And we are thankful to have such a beautiful (and I don't mean this just physically; I refer to her abilities technically and artistically speaking) Dancer, with a capital D, in the company. Needless to mention her exquisite use of arms and head. Sovereignty in the purest sense of the word.

Copyright: Vienna State Ballet / Ashley Taylor

„Summerspace“ is not such a „dated“ work, as Cunningham's work mostly is, but it is, pardon the expression, BORING. For the dancers surely not easy musically but still monotuous, tedious and dull. The girls (Sveva Gargiulo, Rebecca Horner and Ezter Ledán) did a good job but the one that impressed me the most was Katharina Miffek who has the capacity of acquiring what is necessary for a role, all of it – be it classic, modern or contemporary – in such a way that only a very „bright“, inteligent dancer can do. Chapeau.

“Pathétique”: I won't ever go to the „introduction talks“ that are given half an hour before a show, these talks about Mr Schläpfer's pieces, mostly given by Miss Anne do Paco, in which the public is told “what to think, what to see, what to understand“ in his pieces. THIS is pathetic.

The transposition, the translation from „dramaturgy thought“ to „something recognizable in dance language“, is never given; it just doesn’t happen. It just exists on the thoughts of the dramaturgist (I believe this was again Miss Do Paco's work, so overloaded with unnecessary information which is not suitable to dance) and of the choreographer. Therefore, this must be explained to the public. Beforehand.

„Pathétique“ is the perfect title to summarize this self-reflection that got mixed up with Tchaikowsky's biography.

If you look accurately for the description of the word „Pathétique“ in any dictionary, you will find quite a few sad adjectives (as „pitiable“, „distressing“, „disquieting“, „mournful“, and „heartbreaking“) but also some descriptions that come very close to last evening's point. Definitions such as „miserably inadequate“ and „of very low standard“.

Once more, we were presented with a “choreography” that consists of many different pieces that were obviously choreographed separately and then „glued together“ - as practically no „whole ensemble scenes“ take place.

There were nearly no „Legris Dancers“ on stage. Perhaps because the piece is a sad Swan Song, a farewell for many other dancers.

Regardless of choreographical style, there was (again) a „floor number“ (although this time quite moderate, I must say) for Yuko Ato (Senior Artiste).

Copyright: Vienna State Ballet / Ashley Taylor

As usual in such “productions”, the stage was dark, the lighting too. The terrible costumes by Catherine Voeffray, many with glitter, resembled more of a German TV programme – or, should we say, „tasteless Friedrich Palast's shows“ in Berlin during the 80s? It breaks my heart to think of the taxpayers’ money being used to subsidize such work that will probably never be in the repertoire of the Opera again.

And the most „intriguing“, unexplainable idea: Even though Händel's „Süße Stille“ has nothing to do, neither emotionally nor stylishly, with Tchaikowsky's music, it was used. Whose idea was this?

One must admit that conductor Christoph Altstaedt did a marvellous job. He made it possible for us to sit still through this sometimes quite „auto-biographical“ rigmarole in which, among other things, it is obvious that Classical ballet was clearly referred to as „Dance in a corset“. Strange allusions to „Giselle“, to the Willis and Myrtha (Elena Bottaro's pas de bourrées were quite obvious). But what does this have to do with Tchaikowsky? We know that „Giselle“ is NOT Tchaikowsky's but Adam's, don't we? I guess we will never find out the answer to that. Such an uncontrolled manipulation.

Leaving the Opera, a good acquaintance from the world of ballet (who shall remain nameless here) told me: „Ricardo, and this was the best thing Martin Schläpfer ever did in Vienna!“. I agreed. You can make your own conclusions. I’ll leave you with that.

Ricardo Leitner

Vienna, April 10th, 2025