Photo: Andrew RossScottish Ballet and the Edinburgh International Festival are delighted that Jorma Elo, resident choreographer of Boston Ballet and a rising star in contemporary ballet both in the US and Europe, is creating a new work for Festival 2011.
Hot on the heels of his recent triumphs at San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater, Jorma Elo's much anticipated new commission for Scottish Ballet features Mozart's First Violin Concerto and music by Steve Reich.
‘Everything Scottish Ballet does seems to be characterised by vibrant energy, brilliant coherence and an effortless visual elegance.' The Daily Telegraph
Song of the Earth (1965)
Created by Scottish choreographic genius Kenneth MacMillan, former Director and Principal Choreographer of the Royal Ballet, Song of the Earth is set to Mahler's beautiful song cycle Das Lied von der Erde which explores mankind's struggle to accept mortality and the hope and eventual renewal that comes with death. Mahler set texts from Chinese poems of the T'ang Dynasty, translated into German. His use of Chinese motifs in the music is subtle and sublime. Joining the dancers of Scottish Ballet are mezzo soprano Katarina Karnéus and tenor Peter Wedd with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra led by Sian Edwards.
If Elo’s work impresses, MacMillan’s testifies to both the brilliance of its choreographer and the, sadly soon departing, talents of Scottish Ballet’s artistic director Ashley Page.
Triumphant.
The effect of [Kings 2 Ends] is to remind us of how much better we've seen the same thing accomplished elsewhere...Song of the Earth, by contrast, is one of the most sublime marriages of music and choreography in the ballet canon.
Scottish Ballet shows Eastern promise at Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh from Friday August 26, 2011, until Sunday August 28, 2011. More info: www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk
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