This year marks the 140th Anniversary of Igor Stravinsky. Defined as one of the most significant figures of the twentieth century, the composer works in many musical genres, constantly experimenting, looking for new forms of expression and styles.
On 18 and 20 March, the Sofia Opera and Ballet offers its audience two "different" ballets – "Petrushka" and "The Firebird", music – Igor Stravinsky.
With them the composer gained world fame. These two titles are a real musical and dance innovation, a revolutionary creative act of its time, transformed by a group of "titanic" artists in the face of composer Igor Stravinsky, the choreographer Mikhail Fokine, the ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev and the great ballet dancers from his troupe.
As a result of Diaghilev's idea to create a ballet based on Stravinsky's music, the composer saw an opportunity to narrate the ancient folklore texts in avant-garde musical language and therefore he turned to the tales from Afanasiev's collection – in "The Firebird" and the characters from the street puppet theatre – in "Petrushka". Thus was born a rare combination of ingenious music, choreography and dance performance.
In his active creative years Stravinsky was living in France, Switzerland, USA and this further enriched his musical expression. The composer worked practically in all musical styles known during this period, and each of his new works turned into a significant cultural event and provoked controversy and extreme divergent opinions and assessments.
Throughout his creative life, Igor Stravinsky believed that the feeling was leading, both for the artist and the audience, and not understanding or knowledge.
"The work of a composer is a process of perception, not of comprehension. He catches, selects, combines, but to the very end he does not realize when the meanings of different kind and sense arise in his work."
The Sofia Opera and Ballet will present to its audience on two dates the one-act ballets "Petrushka" and "The Firebird" – on the 18th at 19:00 h and on 20 March at 16:00 h.
https://licatanagrada.com/sofiiska-oprea-i-balet/