6th September 2020 | 19:00 | Sunday – Petőfi Theatre
The dance performance is a sort of concentrate: an imprint or essence of feelings and thoughts that arose in me after reading Lorca’s work. What I would like to present is not the dramatic plot or the characters, but tension resulting from confinement and suppression, plus the nature of confrontation between people caused by the power of desire. The main message of The House of Bernanda Alba is the criticism of rigid social rules that destroy the individual’s happiness. The sultry eroticism of suppressed passion is brilliantly depicted by Lorca. Those who surrender to hard tradition draw eternal joylessness upon themselves. Those who rebel against it and want gaiety and happiness will perish. “Those who follow their feelings and desires instead of centuries-old moral codes should not face death or excommunication; however, while the influence of puritan society is this powerful, all individual will and seeking of happiness will be met by pain.” Lorca’s fight for human dignity, equality, fairness and democracy manifested itself in words, melodies, and colours.
DUENDE
“All that has black sounds has duende. These black sounds are the mystery, the roots fastened in the mire that we all know and all ignore, the fertile silt that gives us the very substance of art. This mysterious force, this sacred awe is duende. When the black blood starts to flow from the heart to the body, it is as if one became possessed by a spirit. It emerges from itself to rebuild its spirit from its atoms. It requires and creates a direct relationship between the creator, the receiver and some superior force. It is fed by fundamental questions such as those of sin and morality, the fight between good and evil, the existence of God and the Devil. It is always the juxtaposition of opposites, which creates the tension that erupts from the artist. And this eruption is like a volcano. These contradictory forces gather under the surface and the body in which they are trapped tries to suppress them; however, an internal revolt makes them burst out unstoppably. These forces and emotional affects may be compared to love-making, as everything becomes clear and quiet when it is done. The tension dissolves and duende evaporates.”
Manuel de Falla, the most famous contemporary Andalusian Spanish composer was Lorca’s spiritual leader, friend and mentor.
Falla’s works were informed by an aspiration for visual presentation; he was able to achieve this partly because of his passionate temperament and partly based on his mimic skills rooted in dance.
Performed by: Zsófia Takács, Szandra Szigyártó, Petra Bocsi, Rita Tokai, Janka Nier, Enikő Kovács, Róbert Kiss, Lotár Vincze, Dalma Wéninger
Music: Manuel de Falla
Lighting: Ferenc Stadler
Set construction: Scabello Bt.
Costumes: Bianca Imelda Jeremiass
Choreography: Tamás Juronics
Duration of the performance: 35 min