A scenic ritual about loss that celebrates life through the movement and energy of those of us who still remain here.
A “tableau vivant” in constant transformation and full of emotion, pulsation and subtlety.
The theatrical dimension of Mozart's music evokes in his Requiem, with great purity and depth, the human abyss through feelings related to death such as fear, compassion, loneliness, rejection, emptiness, melancholy, brotherhood, pain or resistance to letting go. Liminal states that give meaning to our lives and speak of the intermediate, of transition, inviting reflection. But how to translate these emotional states into choreographic and scenic language with this musical monument and all the mystery that surrounds its score?
From the creative freedom offered by a work that has been versioned and imagined so many times, the Mozart Requiem by TANZ_KASSEL proposes a dialogue between the community and the individual. A celebration of dance as an instrument of connection with oneself and others. A fight between light and darkness. A “tableau vivant” in constant transformation and full of emotion, pulsation and subtlety. A collective experience around music, voice and body. A scenic ritual about loss that celebrates life through the movement and energy of those of us who still remain here. After all, we must face death to embrace life.
Choreography by Antonio Ruz with compositions by W.A. Mozart and Henrich Schütz and sound design by Randomhype.
Musical direction
Marco Comin
Choreography & stage direction
Antonio Ruz
Set and costume design
Markus Meyer.
Sound design
Randomhype
Lighting design
Jürgen Kolb
Dramaturgy
Throsten Teubl, Lars Gunnar Anderstam
Chorus
Marco Zeiser Celesti
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A work like a painting. Review Mozart_Requiem Staatstheater Kassel
‘...Antonio Ruz designs a timeless version that plays with numerous references to baroque iconographic works and complements it with contemporary compositions by the artist Christian Düchtel aka Randomhype and Heinrich Schütz's chorale ‘Selig sind die Toten’. Their message is clear: death is part of life, one thing unthinkable without the other.
The movement language of the dancers covers the whole range of human emotions: closeness, longing, care, love, fear, loneliness and rejection can be seen there, moving in a movement pattern that is as universal as the interplay of baroque and contemporary music.
It is a stroke of genius how dance and music work together on stage. The outstanding chorus not only overcomes the great challenge of singing from memory, but also becomes part of the choreography. And the vocal soloists also participate in a similar way. The production walked a fine line: there was a risk of falling too quickly into romantic baroque kitsch. The evening held the line. A standing ovation and a long applause from the audience confirmed this...’._ Kirsten Ammermüller. HNA
