On March 13 and 14, the Astana Ballet Theatre will once again present the ballet-cantata "Carmina Burana." The summer premiere generated great interest: for the first time, orchestra, choir, and ballet were performed together in a single space on the theatre's stage.
The production is based on the mystical and enchanting music of Carl Orff, one of the most outstanding German composers of the 20th century. "Carmina Burana" occupies a special place in contemporary culture, combining academic tradition with the powerful emotional energy akin to popular art.
The production explores the philosophical theme of human nature and the perpetual motion of Fortune's wheel: the material and the spiritual, the creative and the destructive, collide on stage. The plot centers on a young man and a maiden whose love is tested by temptations and trials. The ballet's figurative world is inspired by Renaissance aesthetics, and the forces of creation and destruction are embodied in symbolic characters, corresponding to the Creator and the Tempter. Choreographers Mukaram Abubakhrieva (Avakhri) and Timur Zagidullin combined neoclassical, contemporary, and elements of plastic improvisation in this production. The orchestra, choir, and soloists perform the music under the direction of principal conductor Arman Urazgaliev, while the choir is directed by Gulmira Kuttybadamova. The production features opera soloists and combines music, choreography, vocals, and lighting into a single philosophical canvas about the cycle of life and the triumph of love.