Hans van Manen - master of the dance
Introduction
The Dutch National Ballet will be touring the Netherlands in spring 2011 with a programme consisting solely of works by Hans van Manen.?
Credits
Accompanied by Holland Symfonia
Musical direction Ermanno Florio
Choreography Hans van Manen
Dancers
Adagio Hammerklavier
Dancers
Solo
Dancers
programme
The most important and productive choreographer of the Netherlands, Van Manen has an impressive oeuvre of over 120 ballets to his name. Everyone agrees that practically every one of these works is a thing of timeless beauty.
The programme kicks off with Van Manen's latest creation, especially made for the Dutch National Ballet in October 2010. Van Manen's inspiration for this ballet for one woman and three men came from a number of piano songs by the Austrian composer Hugo Wolf. The music will be performed live in an instrumental version (without the singing) by pianist/conductor/composer Reinbert de Leeuw.
Alongside this new work, the company will be dancing Adagio Hammerklavier (1973), which is recognised as a classic all over the world. Inspired by the adagio in Beethoven's music, Van Manen investigates in this ballet just how slow a movement can be. Or, as he once described his ode to the adagio: "it is like a wheel that after one push is still moving, just before it falls".
Solo, created in 1997 for three junior members of Nederlands Dans Theater, is actually the exact opposite to this. It is a furious dance relay; a 'solo' for three – because (as Van Manen explained at the time) it is impossible for one person to dance to the breakneck speed of Bach's Violin Partita. Immediately after its premiere, the ballet was labelled 'a masterpiece in six minutes'.
Grosse Fuge is set to two Beethoven scores. This sensuous work explores the relationships between four male-female couples. In 1971, Van Manen proved that – contrary to the opinion of his great role model George Balanchine – Beethoven's music is extremely 'danceable'. This most sought-after Van Manen ballet in the world is easily on a par with the compositions used, as regards power and tension. Van Manen also designed the costumes himself. Long black skirts make the men's movements even stronger and the woman appear to have just stepped out of their cocktail dresses...
Another work on the programme is Concertante, created in 1994 for eight junior members of Nederlands Dans Theater. It is a fascinating ballet, seasoned with humour and aggression, which even in its most dazzling solos and intense pas de deux still demonstrates the sophisticated simplicity, visual logic and musicality so typical of Van Manen.
Soloists
(subject to change)
Matthew Golding
27 April
Casey Herd
27 April
Natalia Hoffmann
27 April
Rachel Oomens
4 May
Schedule
The duration of the show is approximately 2 hours, including one intermission
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wed 27 apr 2011 |
20.30 uur |
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thu 28 apr 2011 |
20.30 uur |
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fri 29 apr 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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tue 3 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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wed 4 may 2011 |
20.45 uur |
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fri 6 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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sat 7 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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tue 17 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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wed 18 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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fri 20 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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sat 21 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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tue 24 may 2011 |
20.15 uur |
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