Zampanò, a coarse showman, is touring the entire country with his penniless assistant, Gelsomina. The dependent young woman, who always appears at Zampanò's side as a clown, is badly treated by him and kept as a slave. But when Gelsomina meets the sensitive tightrope artist Matto one day, she learns for the first time in her life what real human affection is. When the two of them finally begin to draw closer together, there is a momentous argument between Zampanò, Gelsomina and Matto.
It was this tension-filled triangular relationship that formed the dramatic core of Federico Fellini's Oscar-winning film classic “La Strada” from the year 1954. From 1952 to 1979, the celebrated Italian director worked closely with the composer Nino Rota. In 1966, Rota adapted his film music into a ballet suite for orchestra. This version, which is being presented by the Gärtnerplatztheater for the first time in Germany, forms the basis for choreographer Marco Goecke's thrilling full-length ballet.
Text by Federico Fellini and Tullio Pinelli
Music by Nino Rota
Recording of the Orchestra of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz from January 5, 2021, conducted by Michael Brandstätter