On the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninov’s birth (1873-1943)
Soirée di musica e danza per Rachmaninov
curated by Daniele Cipriani
Beatrice Rana and Massimo Spada piano
Ludovica Rana violoncello
music Sergei Rachmaninov
Ettore Volontieri narrator
music consultant Gastón Fournier-Facio
“Sonata”
set to the Andante from the Sonata in G minor for cello and piano, Op. 19
“Trio”
set to the Andantino, from the Suite no. 2 for two pianos, Op. 17
choreography Uwe Scholz
performers Rachele Buriassi (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens), Esnel Ramos (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, formerly Ballet Nacional de Cuba), Oleksii Potiomkin (formerly Ballet of the National Opera of Ukraine)
“Alla fine del mondo”
choreography Simone Repele and Sasha Riva, premiere of the work set to the Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
costume design Anna Biagiotti
props Michele della Cioppa
lighting design Alessandro Caso
performers Yumi Aizawa, Luca Curreli, Riccardo Ciarpella, Francesco Curatolo, Chiara Dal Borgo, Giulia Pizzuto, Chiara Ranca, Simone Repele, Sasha Riva, Parvaneh Scharafali
After the 50thanniversary of Igor Stravinsky, this tribute to Sergei Rachmaninov on the 150thanniversary of his birth renews the magical thread that links music and dance. At the piano will be Beatrice Rana—who first began to ‘due’ with dance steps here in Ravenna—and Massimo Spada. They will alternate between the Preludes and the Études-Tableaux, or in dialogue with the dancers on stage. Like Stravinsky, the Russian-born Rachmaninov later settled in America, but unlike him, he did not devote so much attention to ballet. However, it is because of the gentle nature of his compositions, the fluidity of the notes, and the butterfly lightness of his melodies that choreographers often ‘steal’ from his works. The programme features Uwe Scholz’s Sonata, choreographed to the Andante from Rachmaninov’s Sonata in G Minor op. 19, as well asthe world premiere of a choreography by Sacha Riva and Simone Repele on the Symphonic Dances, op. 45.
