Mariam Aleksidze’s chamber contemporary ballet with live music, STALAG VIII-A is based on Quartet for the End of Time, an iconic work by French composer Olivier Messiaen that was created in a prisoner of war camp in 1941. Played by a group of prisoner musicians at the camp, the piece became one of the most important works by the composer and organist.
In the dance production music and dance interact directly: musicians and the seven dancers are on the same stage. The live situation creates an unusual intensity.
In 2006, Giorgi Aleksidze staged a ballet miniature entitled Phoenix based on Vocalise, pour l'Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps – the second part of Olivier Messiaen's composition Quartet for the End of Time. Ten years later, Marina and Mariam Aleksidze restored Phoenix for the Evening of Giorgi Aleksidze Choreography presented by Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet Company.
In Mariam Aleksidze's new contemporary ballet STALAG VIII-A, Giorgi Aleksidze's choreographic masterpiece staged to the second part of the Quartet, remains unchanged.
The staging of STALAG VIII-A was premiered in Tbilisi in 2018. In May 2019 was introduced at Theater Rigiblick in Zurich along with Swiss-based pianist Irina Vardeli, Swiss-based violinist Andreas Janke, cellist Mattia Zappa, concert master of the acclaimed Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra and clarinettist Dimitri Ashkenazy, son of the famed pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Premiere of Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet Chamber Company
Dedicated to the memory of prominent violinist Konstantin Vardeli
Stalag VIII-A
Contemporary Ballet in One Act
Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the End of Time) by Olivier Messiaen for clarinet, violin, cello and piano
Idea by Konstantin Vardeli
Choreography by Mariam Aleksidze
Choreography of the second part of the Quartet, Vocalise, pour l'Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps, by Giorgi Aleksidze
Cast:
Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet Chamber Company:
Nino Gogua, Natia Bunturi, Mariam Darchia, Intigam Mammadov, Mariam Koiava, Gvantsa Gelashvili and Tinatin Mchedlidze
Levan Tskhadadze, clarinet
Aleksandre Khatiskatsi, violin
Sandro Chijavadze, cello
Irina Vardeli, piano
Second Season of Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet
Company Artistic Director – Mariam Aleksidze