Carmina Burana: A Review
It's hard to believe that it's been nearly fifty years since Alice Reyes first set her captivating vision for Carmina Burana to the stage. 1974 - that's the year I was born, the year that this masterpiece first took flight. Though my understanding of ballet wasn't yet formed back then, my subconscious must have absorbed the power of this production, waiting patiently for my own ballet journey to begin. And what a journey it has been.
As a dancer myself, I often find myself looking for works that offer both a technical challenge and a deep emotional connection. Carmina Burana ticks both boxes, offering a potent blend of power and grace, hedonism and despair. The very essence of humanity - in all its glory and grotesqueness - is on display, captured by Carl Orff's magnificent score, the force of the dancers, and the vision of the late, great Alice Reyes.
Let's delve deeper, shall we? The music itself is a symphony of chaos and order, a sonic landscape painted with strokes of barbarity and beauty. Orff's masterpiece, "Carmina Burana" is an 18th-century collection of medieval poems and songs - brimming with human passion, both profane and sacred, set to a breathtakingly bold score that transcends time and place. The sheer energy that pulses from each note – a captivating mixture of rhythmic intensity, guttural chants and hauntingly beautiful melodies, creates an irresistible pull on the senses. You can’t help but be swept up in its primal power, transported to a world where joy and sorrow are intertwined.
Dancing the Dreams and the Darkness
Alice Reyes was, without a doubt, a visionary choreographer, a genius who understood the magic of movement and its ability to breathe life into even the most complex of emotions. Her vision, in Carmina Burana, is brought to life through her intricate, layered choreography, each gesture meticulously designed to communicate, to stir, to mesmerise. She wove into this ballet, the tale of humans bound by a fate of desire, celebration, and ultimate sorrow, with the score guiding the narrative with such captivating authority. Her choreography allows each dancer to become a vessel for raw emotions. We witness the lust of Fortune’s Wheel (the Wheel of Fortune is so memorably represented in Reyes’ work – a captivating tableau of bodies swirling through time and fate ), the frenzied glee of O Fortuna, and the sombre introspectiveness of the In Taberna and Estuans Interius passages, each resonating with the profound themes that thread through Orff’s composition. It’s the delicate interplay of lightness and gravity that captivates: moments of jubilation balanced against moments of soul-stirring anguish; bodies surging and twisting with almost inhuman energy, then pausing to explore profound introspective silences. The visual storytelling that takes shape on stage is a masterpiece in itself.
But beyond the artistry, the choreography demands incredible physicality and precision from its dancers, pushing them to their limits. And believe me, they deliver! The men’s explosively powerful moves – those sharp, explosive leaps and gravity-defying turns – the dynamic ensemble work; the fluidity and athleticism of the female corps… and the solos, the true showcases of both technical mastery and emotional expression. To think that these men and women move with such seemingly effortless grace while executing these intricate steps – I often wonder how they manage to sustain the levels of stamina and commitment it demands – I’m consistently amazed by the ballet dancer’s physical resilience and the passion that fuels them, that lets them tell these compelling stories with their bodies, through the most challenging sequences.
Standout Moments
Some of the moments that forever stay etched in my mind?
- The scene of Fortune’s Wheel, always a breathtaking testament to human resilience and fragility. In that circular dance, I see the eternal struggle against fate, the ephemeral nature of happiness and fortune – a moment that speaks volumes through silence.
- The chorus’s electrifying O Fortuna! where the powerful energy of the entire company - the raw force, the raw emotion - pulsates with breathtaking force, each individual dancer becomes a part of the collective energy - a whirlwind of rhythm and life!
- The quiet introspection of Estuans Interius. There’s a somber grace to those passages - the haunting beauty and the sense of tragedy is both intensely moving and poignant - the choreography, the dancers’ emotions, it all speaks to us through the power of restraint.
- The contrasting movements, the clash of the fierce with the graceful, all of it culminates in the dance that exudes the very soul of Carmina Burana – a perfect example of Alice Reyes’s vision. It’s a visceral and immersive experience.
Reflections and Beyond
Carmina Burana transcends the realm of entertainment. It’s more than a ballet – it’s a captivating visual tapestry of human experience, it’s a raw, unadulterated glimpse into our collective consciousness. There are moments of immense joy, unbridled hedonism, but there's also a lingering sense of profound melancholy that lingers long after the curtain falls, reminding us of the fragility of our own human condition. The stark beauty of Alice Reyes’ vision has endured, this captivating ballet stands testament to her artistry. In her vision and her choreography, you sense a deep understanding of both the depths of despair and the sublime joy of the human spirit.
The years since the first performance in 1974, Carmina Burana has become a touchstone of Philippine ballet and continues to capture and hold its audience with its evocative energy and raw beauty. There is no other ballet, in my mind, that so effectively showcases the strength and artistry of our Philippine dancers and brings together such exquisite beauty and primal power. It is a ballet that pushes boundaries, a testament to human creativity and to the enduring power of artistic expression.
To the dancers – every single one of you who graced the stage and breathed life into this masterpiece - you are the heart and soul of this ballet. And to Alice Reyes, thank you for your enduring legacy. The passion and dedication in your choreography has resonated throughout generations of dancers and touched countless hearts. As I continue my own journey in the world of dance, Carmina Burana will always be a source of inspiration, a reminder of the transformative power of dance, a beacon of artistic excellence.
It is truly a masterpiece that deserves its place as one of the pinnacles of the art form.