Tanz-Musik-Theater

A group of people has come to a place of pilgrimage and is trying to conquer the imprecated magic mountain. Only when everyone climbs together do they manage to reach the summit. A procession – on cotton rags and underpants. Religious devotion and human, pathological characteristics are poignantly celebrated. The »vespers« have lost their vowels and the heavenly vision of deliverance has become a human cripple.

Belgian choreographer Alain Platel has chosen »Vespers of the blessed virgin« (1610) by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) as the starting point for his piece. Italian Fabrizio Cassol has produced an unusual sound from the religious composition with his jazz trio, Aka Moon, a baroque ensemble and gypsy musicians. »vsprs« represents the result of Platel’s intensive work with dancers from many countries and gives voice to those excluded. The piece is more abstract than Platel’s previous work, which movingly touch at guest appearances all over the world.

Alain Platel, born in Ghent in 1956, founded the company Les Ballet C. de la B. in 1986 and is one of the most significant choreographers of our time. He has already made guest appearances with four pieces at the euro-scene Leipzig: »La Tristeza cómplice« (»The shared sorrow«, 1996), »Bernadetje« (1997), »Iets op Bach« (»Oddments on Bach«, 1998) and »Allemaal Indiaan« (»Everyone is an Indian«, 2000).

»The last twenty minutes, the aim and key to the performance, are incomparable with anything we know from theatre … There is no theatre more moving than that of Alain Platel at such moments« (Renate Klett, ballet-tanz, Berlin, April 2006).