Vivaldiana
Choreographer Mauro Astolfi
Music by Antonio Vivaldi
Light Designer & Set Concept Marco Policastro
Costumes Mélanie Planchard
Assistant Choreographer Alessandra Chirulli
Creation for nine dancers
An international co-production between Spellbound, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg
and the Orchestre de Chambre de Luxembourg / with the contribution of the Ministry
of Cultural affairs / with the collaboration of the Italian Embassy in Luxembourg
and cultural partner c/o Norddeutsche Konzertdirektion Melsine Grevesmühl GmbH.
At the heart of VIVALDIANA, Spellbound’s new show, the idea of working on a semi-reinterpretation
of Vivaldi’s universe integrating within it some characteristics of his rebellious unconventional
personality. Starting from this concept, the choreographer Mauro Astolfi translated into movement
some works by Vivaldi in order to portray the talent and ability to reinvent, during his lifetime, baroque
music.
Vivaldi was a musician immersed in a context dominated by rationality. He distinguished himself
because he was fully aware that he was going beyond the limits of his time and was not afraid of going
against the trends; this is what made him a genius. This gave Astolfi the idea to re-elaborate
the structure of his music and attempt to give back to his works elements of uniqueness, those works
that provide an unparalleled source of inspiration to give shape to a research in dance that brings
together harmoniously the artistic aspects with the most histrionic human characteristics and
sometimes crazy aspects of the “red priest”, the first musician to compose with the specific intention
of stimulating the public’s taste and not comply with it.
In September 2019 the show inaugurated the season of the Grand Theater of Luxemburg, which
commissioned and co-produced the wider project in two parts (with two creators) Vivaldi Variations.
Mauro Astolfi and Jean-Guillaume Weis from Luxemburg for this event deeply engaged themselves
in the work and the life of the musician to create a stage performance of their corresponding thoughts
and emotions and the different approaches of the two artists, respectively creating Vivaldiana and
Seasons. These choreographies were both entrusted to the interpretation of the team of Spellbound
Contemporary Ballet and the live music from the Orchestre de Chambre du Luxemburg.
