Two familiar scenarios come to life on the stage this evening, but neither in the form to which we are accustomed. The story of Seville's demon of seduction and the dauntless stone guest, known best through Mozart's interpretation, was subject to numerous adaptations in the 18th century - among them the version by famed opera composer Christoph Willibald Gluck. The master active on the border between the Baroque and Classical periods chose the ballet form to evoke the eternal story through sublimely expressive music that remains highly effective to this day. Antonio Vivaldi's series of violin concertos entitled The Four Seasons dates from a few decades earlier. Although not a work for the stage, it still has a narrative, since the Red Priest - as the orphanage violin master was then known - set his own sonnets to music, portraying nature in a wonderfully sensitive and poetic fashion.
A choreographer who blends music and movement into a coherent whole while simultaneously developing each given work to create focused productions rich in meaning, Tamás Juronics, at the head of the internationally renowned dance ensemble he has led since 1993, has undertaken an exciting task on this occasion by staging these two 18th century masterpieces, conveying their stories through the extraordinary artistic language of dance. The distinguished dancer has worked as a choreographer for 25 years, delighting fans of contemporary dance with his modern adaptations of numerous classical works. "In his work he strives to make an impact across artistic disciplines, creating dance theatre. Blending modern styles in an original way, the emphasis in his works is on show in a good sense, the spectacle of the stage,” wrote one observer of Juronics in 2009, when he received the Kossuth Prize, the highest accolade bestowed upon contributors to Hungary's cultural and artistic life.

This performance is not recommended for audience members under 16 years of age.

The première was an event of the 2016/17 Ensemble of the Season series.

Presented by: National Dance Theatre