The musical ennobles the dancing – like Clara Schumann is brought to the stage as a ballet
Cathy Marston’s choreography “Clara” premiered at the Zurich Opera House: a throw. The participation of pianist Ragna Schirmer is outstanding.
Clara, the artist (Ruka Nakagawa) is admired by Schumann (Karen Azatyan).
Bild: Carlos Quezada
Who was Clara Schumann? Countless books have been published about the pianist and composer, who would be considered exceptional even today, as she was only in the 19th century. Clara outlived her husband, Robert Schumann, by 40 years; It is difficult to measure her life, which has seen many ups and downs (mental illness), which is why Cathy Marston, Zurich’s ballet director, concentrates on a few facets of this personality in her new ballet creation “Clara”. Starting with seven melodic tones of a scale and the corresponding white keys on the piano, Clara is embodied by seven dancers.
They represent the child prodigy (Giorgia Giani), the artist (Ruka Nakagawa), the wife Nancy Osbaldeston), the mother (Sujung Lim), the nurse (Inna Bilash), the manager (McKhayla Pettingill) and the muse (Max Richter). . That’s all – and it’s a lot. Because the way Clara Schumann specialist Ragna Schirmer lets the seven notes drip into the room in the orchestra pit, we sense that great things will arise from Marston’s limitations.
Hildegard Bechtler’s stage design with a stylized piano top that becomes an insular playing surface and light, movable elements, as well as Bregje van Balen’s predominantly black and white or black costumes, also refer to the piano, with which Clara celebrated triumphs as a child. The blackness indicates iron discipline. Nowhere is this more evident than with Clara’s father Friedrich Wick (Esteban Berlanga), who presents his daughter to the audience in a well-trained manner.
Brahms goes away to live for his music
It’s understandable that Clara rebels against this; especially when she takes refuge with her mother Marianne (Shelby Williams) – but is torn away by her father. It is a power struggle that will repeat itself when Clara wants to marry Robert Schumann (Karen Azatyan), who is unloved by Wieck.
Another person plays a role in Clara and Robert’s life: Johannes Brahms (Chandler Dalton); a young man who is friendly with Clara – even years after Robert Schumann’s death. Or was it more? To this day there is speculation about the relationship between the two. The imagination can run rampant. Not so with Cathy Marston. The last scene belongs to Brahms, who leaves because he wants to live for his music – just like Clara, who continues playing and composing.
This is a profound story that Cathy Marston tells with precise and wonderfully flowing movements and in arrangements that often play with the diagonal. The tension is then heightened when the couples meet, performing difficult lifting and slinging figures across the stage at a fast pace, charging them with emotions. Then it crackles in the audience because the dancing is fantastic.
The seven Claras succeed in giving the figure an impressive personal touch; Karen Azatyan as Schumann is a man with rough edges who is surrounded by tragedy even in the love scenes – as when he rolls around on the floor of the clinic; Esteban Berlanga is Father Wieck, whose control betrays repressed feelings; Chandler Dalton dances Brahms with a mixture of lightheartedness and forebodings – this is also a moving role portrait.
But what would this “Clara” be without the Brit Philip Feeney. It combines 25 pieces by Clara and Robert Schumann as well as by Johannes Brahms to create an indulgent, late-romantic musical cosmos that the Zurich Philharmonia under Daniel Capps allows to blossom in the most beautiful way.
Another one does that: the pianist Ragna Schirmer. The extent to which she reinvents every note with a brilliant attack and places it in the context of a larger musical whole is overwhelming. This class pianist breathes with the music – and this bears fruit in her interaction with the orchestra and in her dedication to the dancers. Thus, the musical side ennobles the dance side, which makes Cathy Marston’s “Clara” an event.
“Clara” Zurich Opera House, October 15th, 20th, 27th, 30th, November 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th, 15th.
