Carmen / Le Sacre du printemps

CARMEN / LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS

Two choreographies by Antoine Jully

The myth of Carmen, a strong and unconventional woman, was fascinating even before it was written down by Prosper Mérimée in 1845. In the same year as the novella, a first ballet version by Marius Petipa appeared in Madrid, entitled "Carmen et son Toréro". Georges Bizet's opera, which is so popular today, initially failed at its premiere in 1875. However, his composition soon became the basis for various ballet productions. The "Carmen Suite" presented in Moscow in 1967, which Rodion Shchedrin wrote for his wife and prima ballerina Maja Plissezkaja, presents the tale of passion and raging jealousy to which Antoine Jully devotes his new ballet.

The force with which Igor Stravinsky's innovative rhythms and melodies hit the audience at the premiere of "Le Sacre du Printemps" in Paris on 29 May 1913 triggered one of the biggest scandals in 20th century theater history. More than 110 years later, Stravinsky's powerful-sounding work continues to fascinate and numerous choreographers have created their version of the "Sacrifice of Spring" in a wide variety of interpretations. Antoine Jully's interpretation from 2019, based on the characters in the original, tells a story about contemporary issues that affect us very acutely, such as how we deal with nature as well as rivalry and power relations between people.