Two amazing choreographers and a few more famous composers: such a combination really ought to bring ballet lovers into Seventh Heaven – or Im siebten Himmel, as the title of the ballet performance at Vienna State Opera goes. With the music of the Strauss family, Gustav Mahler and the choreography of modern-day masters of dance like Martin Schläpfer and Marco Goecke, the Austrian capital promises to become the ballet centre of the world for an evening.
The programme opens with “Marsch, Walzer, Polka”, the 2006 ballet by Martin Schläpfer, built around the beloved tunes of Johann Strauss (father and son) and Josef Strauss. The performance at Vienna State Opera this season is special: Especially for it, Schläpfer has added the “Neue Pizzicato Polka” op. 449 and refreshed the choreography with input from avant-garde artist Susanne Bisovsky.
Next comes “Uraufführung” (Fly paper bird) by Marco Goecke, a new piece crafted especially for this triple performance. It rests on the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, a work that celebrates the composer’s budding love to his future wife, Alma Schindler. He proclaimed he was “in seventh heaven” at the time of writing this work. In line with the emotional charge of the music, Goecke’s typical style of flutters, trembles, and vibrations presents a uniquely visceral and intimate ballet experience. Thanks to the expressive music and engaging dance, in heaven everything is fine.
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