The Dark Night of the Soul

Ballet evening by Steffen Fuchs
Music by Arvo Pärt, Ferruccio Busoni and Anton Webern

Like many of their colleagues, Anton Webern and Ferruccio Busoni tried to capture the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach through their own interpretations of his works. Bach’s clearly structured music is often compared to a cathedral. Following this picture, Pärt’s sacred choral works could be described as the melancholic breath that blows through this building. His Tintinnabuli (little bell) style is characterized by the consequent reduction of the sound material to the essential and thus stands in contrast to the baroque splendour of the compositions of the Leipzig master Bach. At the same time both styles correspond with each other, as they are the expression of a deep religious feeling.

“The Dark Night of the Soul” describes the situation of a person in a paralyzing crisis of meaning. But every night is followed by the sunrise that announces the day. The choreography traces the winding paths through hopelessness and hope and gives them a moving form.

In addition to the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, soloists from the Musiktheater and the Opernchor are involved in the evening.

Choreography: Steffen Fuchs
Conductor: Mino Marani
Stage: Konstanze Grotkopp
Costumes: Sascha Thomsen