STRING QUARTETS

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A dance-theatre piece.


A new contemporary dance-theatre project from choreographers Martin Dvořák (CZ/A) and Isira Makuloluwe (CL/P) inspired by three literary works of Tolstoy / Janáčková / Neruda and performed with live music of three string quartets composed by Janáček / Ištvan.

Theme: L. N. Tolstoy, Z. Janáčková, J. Neruda

Music: Leoš Janáček (I. string quartet – Kreutzer Sonata + II. string quartet - Intimate Letters) and Miloslav Ištvan (string quartet – 1951)

Direction and choreography: Martin Dvořák and Isira Makuloluwe

Costumes and set: Jindra Rychlá and Martin Dvořák

Light design: Martin Dvořák, Isira Makuloluwe and Roman Jajčík

Live music: Graffe Quartet

Performed by: Irene Bauer, Martin Dvořák, Alena Pajasová, Mirka Prokešová and Robin Sobek

Production: ProART (Jana Stanulová and Karolína Bulínová)

Financial support: Statutory City of Brno, State Fund for Culture of the Czech Republic, Život umělce Foundation and Leoš Janáček Foundation

The whole story began in 1889 when, at the instigation of Beethoven's sonata in A major for violin and piano (from 1803), Tolstoy wrote a sexual novella with the same title - Kreutzer Sonata. Inspired by this scandalous text, Janáček completed 34 years later his first string quartet, also under the same name. We united these three works into one theatre-dance-music project already in 2011.

With String Quartets project we are coming back now to Leoš Janáček and to his first and second string quartet—Intimate Letters, the latter from 1928, the year of the composer's death. To make a thematic connection, the first quartet—Kreutzer Sonata— opens the whole evening. It is followed by the second Janáček's work dedicated to his life muse Kamila Stösslová. The cornerstone and source of inspiration for this section, however,  is not only Janáček's passionate relationship with a married woman, but also the painful memories of his wife Zdenka, written by Marie Trkanová at the beginning of the 1930s. This emotional conflict between several people is a creative force for the creation of Dvořák's choreographic work for four dancers, which should not be either a purely narrative or just abstract movement piece.

The quartet from a modern composer Miloslav Ištvan concludes the whole evening. He was born in the year of Janáček's death and thus can be perceived as one of his imaginary followers. Brno string quartett - Graffe Quartet - is the musical element that accompanies and helps to create the whole evening without any doubt.

The author of the third part is a choreographer Isira Makuloluwe from Sri Lanka, who seeked his own new path to these Czech musical roots. It was via a short story by a Czech national classic Jan Neruda from 1876 - The Three Lilies. Makuloluwe transforms that piece into a pure movement abstract work where, however, the emotions of the performers are the key means of communication.

All the literary, musical and choreographic works of the evening were created in different times and under different circumstances. Our goal is to find among them the elements that unite them. The audience therefore cannot follow a linear story with a clear beginning and end, nor three independent works. It is entirely up to the viewer's imagination which images and mutual connections will reveal in our evening. Only one thing is clear. The existence of these connections which are like the strings of a violin, viola and cello. These strings tie together emotions, thoughts and energy of people living and working in different times. They create an imaginary circle of  "passing" artistic creation, from which only time can turn them into relative earthly eternity and "permanent" artistic legacy.

SHOWS 2013

19. 10. Bratislava / Slovakia / Bratislava v pohybe / Elledanse - Dom T&D

14. 10. Roma / Italy / Che Danza Vuoi 2013 / Teatro Greco

31. 7. Prague / ProART Festival / NoD

21. 7. Brno / ProART Festival / DnO

30. 6. Warsaw / Polsko / Festival Zawirowania
INFO

SHOWS 2012

16. 12. Divadlo na Orlí / Hudebně-dramatická laboratoř JAMU, Brno

15. 12. Elledanse, Bratislava, Slovakia

14. 12. Divadlo na Orlí / Hudebně-dramatická laboratoř JAMU, Brno

9. 12. Divadlo Rokoko, Praha – String Quartets (opening night)

14. 10. Kalászi Kortárs Tánctalálkozó / Budapest - Budakalasz, Hungary – Ištvan: 1951

1. 10. Sukkot Festival, Hangar Adama, Mitzpe Ramon, Israel – Ištvan: 1951

4. 8. NoD Roxy – Ištvan: 1951 – Prague premiere

27. 7. Divadlo Bolka Polívky – Ištvan: 1951 – first night

PHOTOS:

Martin Babic HERE

Richard a Maria Kirchner HERE

Martin Šandera HERE

Ladislav Polák HERE

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