German premier

Angelin Preljocaj created a wonderful evening: two pieces that correspond to one another. One was technically precise and the other was radical and filled with symbolism. This was an opening for the festival that presents the virtuoso body.

After the »Helikopter-Quartett« by Karlheinz Stockhausen, there was a modern and precisely encompassed choreography: The dream of flight danced in all of its poetic lightness, but also with its metallic hardness, in turbulence and military dangerousness. The media artist Holger Förterer created a fascinating light installation for it.

The provocative remark on a world that is dominated by the illusion of human omnipotence, but that is invigorated less and less by humanity – no less that opens up with a quote from the Bible (Mark chapter 14, verse 22) while making reference the last supper. Preljocaj shows twelve men in a world that Jesus Christ left. He shows what men do to one another and how they challenge one another. Reflections on the reality of the body in a world becoming more virtual with symbolically charged scenes cut through by large tableaus. They remind us of Da Vinci’s famous painting, although these are scenes of lust, greed and struggling!

Angelin Preljocaj was born in France in 1957 as the son of Albanian parents. He finished training in classical and modern dance and began to choreograph in 1984. After the major success of his first work, he founded his first company. He has worked for the great opera houses in Europe again and again. For instance, »Roméo et Juliette« had its premier at the opera in Lyon in 1990, he choreographed «Le Parc« for the Paris opera in 1994. »Paysage après la Bataille« was produced in 1997 and »Portraits in corpore« in 2000. His choreography was taken over in a number of houses and Preljocaj has been given national and international honours. In May of this year, he worked out »Le sacre du printemps« at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin at the invitation of Daniel Barenboim.