2011 became the international Ferenc Liszt year. (You might have heard of him as Franz Liszt.) The grand Hungarian composer was born 200 years ago. Inferno, the new work presented by the Szeged Contemporary Dance Company, was inspired by two of Liszt’s symphonies.
The Dante Symphony – Hell yeah!
It was not the first time the internationally acclaimed Argentine choreographer, Roberto Galván worked with the dance ensemble of Szeged. However, it might have been the last one, since Galván plans to “retire” after this piece.
‘It’s all in the air’ he says.
Declining morals, hopelessness, disappointment. The future looks black. Virgil (Gergely Czár) accompanies Dante (in this scene Vencel Cselényi) past the gates of Hell:
"Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye."*
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye."*
The eternal love Beatrice (Ágnes Markovics in a lovely blue dress) appears on scene to guide Dante (later danced by János Haller) through the Purgatory. Isolation and deep loneliness characterize this world. The masks make face-to-face communication impossible, crippled souls wait impatiently for salvation but the attachment keeps them down. The lovers, separated again and again, struggle their way to Heaven."Lift up thine eyes," I to the Master said;
"Behold, on this side, who will give us counsel,
If thou of thine own self can have it not."*
"Behold, on this side, who will give us counsel,
If thou of thine own self can have it not."*
Liszt seems to have forgotten about Paradise. Is it so beautiful that not even this virtuoso can capture its essence? Or is it that we don’t deserve to see (hear) such a higher realm? Or maybe he suggests us to find our own personal way to heaven. Thus he keeps us pending, fringed upon the unmentioned. Instead, he composed the women choir of Magnificat. The exalted music (and of course Apollo’s/Gábor Finta’s beautiful back muscles) lift the audience up, yet, the consolation is missing. As if there was no future to this world we are living in. After the first part we fumble our way to the bar with a slight delusion and pessimism.
Inner Inferno - the introspection
A man and a woman: equal parts making a whole. Heaven and Hell. Both primary part of our eveydays. Whether one or the other, depends only on us. Sometimes we are defined by our personal heaven or our personal hell. Either state of mind is present, even if we want to ignore it. Just as Love and Hate. It can easily turn into the other. In one moment you are striving to be with your Beloved, in the other moment you turn down his fire. There are transparent walls between you, so many gaps and silences that you have to tear down."Everything transitory
is only an approximation;
what could not be achieved
here comes to pass;
what no-one could describe,
is here accomplished;
the Eternal Feminine
draws us aloft."**
He is the protector, the problem-solver, the understanding ideal Man – that’s why we long for him, that’s why we detest him. So many barriers to overcome, so much pain for an instant moment of happiness… The eternal game, nevertheless, comes to an end when the unbearable desire, at His mercy, puts it/her to death.
Tamás Juronics, leading choreographer of the Szeged Contemporary Dance Company, touched again on the incomprehensible topic of sexual relationships. The third character picture of Liszt’s Faust Symphony (Mephisto), despite its resemblance to a cartoon tune, underlined the subtle fluctuation of emotions between the couple. Gergely Czár’s big return after his injury and Krisztina Szarvas’ devoted interpretation made the premier a great success. The show is registered as 18+ but I would not keep out adolescents just because of the few nude scenes.
* * *
Performance days:
Szeged: APR 15-17, 19-20, 22; 19h. National Theater of Szeged. Tickets: 800-2400 Budapest: MAY 31, MüPa
Szeged: APR 15-17, 19-20, 22; 19h. National Theater of Szeged. Tickets: 800-2400 Budapest: MAY 31, MüPa
Photos: szegedikortarsbalett.hu
Citations: *Dante's Divine Comedy ** Liszt's "Mephisto" choir
