About
Spring 2022 marks the premiere of an exciting collaboration between Skånes Dansteater, The Royal Danish Theatre, Concerto Copenhagen and Malmö Opera, W.A. Mozart's very first opera: Mitridate. A performance joining the best of dance, music, visual art and song by the dynamic trio director Ralf Pleger, set designer Alexander Polzin and choreographer Fernando Melo.
Ralf Pleger is one of today's most innovative directors and film makers. He often creates multidisciplinary worlds joining various artforms, driven by a will to present something yet unseen. Alexander Polzin's set designs are characterized by great imagination and highly individual artistry, linking to his background as an artist within visual art. Fernando Melo's choreographies are comissioned all over the world for dance companies as well as operas. 2019 we restaged Fernando's choreography The Longest Distance Between Two Points for our stage in Malmö and the the following international tour. Mitridate will not be the first time this acclaimed trio have collaborated, they previously have made a celebrated production of Tristan and Isolde for La Monnaie in Bruxelles.
THE OPERA
Mozart was but thirteen years old when he travelled with his father to Italy to learn how to master the esteemed art of the opera. Evidently he learned to master it quite well even at this early age since he was comissioned to compose an opera for Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan for the carnival season the following year. There were a few doubts that this fourteen year old Austrian would manage, but December 1770 the opera Mitridate had its grand premiere and was a great success.
The opera is written according to the Italian ideals of the time with vituoso arias allowing the singers to shine brightest. It was performed by a unusually large orchestra of no less than 56 musicians and an eloborate orchestration. In our production the music will be performed by Concerto Copenhagen, one of today's most innovative baroque ensembles and one of Scandinavia's finest early music orchestras.
The libretto penned by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi tells the story of king Mitridate and his sons competing for the love of Aspasia. Mitridate is a historical person who rueld ove Pontos in northern Anatolia (today a part of Turkey) approximately 100 years before christ. In the opera, as in history Mitridate faught against the Romans but lost.
PRESS
"It's cool and seductive. Mitridate is a delight to the eye.” Frederiksborg Amts Avis
"The whole thing is very evocative" Sydsvenskan
Additional programs
Open rehearsal
March 17, 19:30.
Free admission, but numbered seats.
Please note: the event takes place at Skånes Dansteater.
More information and tickets here
CREATIVE TEAM
Concept: Fernando Melo, Ralf Pleger, Alexander Polzin.
Direction: Ralf Pleger.
Set and costume design: Alexander Polzin.
Choreography: Fernando Melo.
Lighting design: Olaf Freese.
Co-director: Emilia Rault.
PARTICIPANTS
Skånes Dansteater's dancers, see list below.
Mitridate: Stuart Jackson.
Aspasia: Elisabet Einarsdottir.
Sifare: Emőke Baráth.
Farnace: Morten Grove Frandsen.
Ismene: Sarah Aristidou.
Marzio: Sebastian Monti.
Arbate: Kari Dahl Nielse.
Concerto Copenhagen.
Mitridate is a co-production by The Royal Danish Theatre, Malmö Opera and Skånes Dansteater.
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