The Rite of Spring/ The Magic of Love Music by Igor Stravinsky

"THE RITE OF SPRING"

Music by Igor Stravinsky

 

Libretto, choreography, and direction by Prof. HIKMET Mehmedov

Set design and costumes - TSVETANKA PETKOVA-STOYNOVA

 

About the work

 

   Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) is a famous Russian composer and conductor. His work is distinguished by his bold rhythm-melodic and harmonic means, with brilliance and originality.

   He was born in 1882 in Oranienbaum near Sank, in the family of a prominent opera artist. In 1903-1908 he studied composition at Rimsky-Korsakov. In 1909 he met in St. Petersburg with Sergei Diaghilev, the organizer of "Russian Seasons" in Western Europe and America. Diaghilev suggests the unknown author write music for

ballets based on Russian folk tales, and so were born "Firebird," "Parsley," "Wedding," "The Rite of Spring." The premiere of the ballet scene in Paris caused a furor and was rumored to create a new musical style, later known as "neoclassicism".

     From 1914 to 1919, Stravinsky lived in Switzerland and from 1920 to 1939 - in France. In 1940 he settled in the United States and became a teacher at Harvard. He died on April 6, 1971 in New York, but was buried in the Orthodox part of the island - San Michele Cemetery (Venice), next to the grave of Sergei Diaghilev. Both were tireless creators, aristocrats of the spirit, aesthetes, valiant destroyers of old canons in art.

   The premiere of "Spring Mystery" takes place on May 29, 1913, at the Paris Theater "Chan-z-Elise".

   Ballet first reaches the Bulgarian audience as a symphonic piece: on December 12, 1963, in the "Bulgaria" Hall. The performance is performed by the Sofia Philharmonic under the direction of Konstantin Iliev. At that time, Stravinsky's work with the original title "Holy Spring" was named by the more poetic "Spring Mystery" and thus became known in Bulgaria. On May 16, 1977, the ballet was staged by the Arabesque studio with mechanical sound: the choreography is by Margarita Arnaudova, the set designer is Maria Trendafilova, Yuri Zubarev plays the role of the Oldest wise man, and Rosina Kamburova is reincarnated in the image.

 

  "The modern world, humanity, lives in a situation of tension and hatred, of aggression, loneliness, isolation, and indifference; devoid of passionate power, timidly ... in a seemingly catastrophic unreality. The love between people is totally absent. Hate reigns today, and it cannot sustain life. The magic of love is broken. This describes with epigrammatic accuracy the fundamental tragedy of modern man.

  The only thing we humans can and should do again is to work the magic of love together to live our days on this earth, given to us by the Supreme, communicating with each other, in harmony, in understanding ... with heart. "

Prof. Hikmet Mehmedov

 

 

"LOVE MAGIC"

Manuel de Faya Music Ballet

 

Libretto, choreography and direction by Prof. HIKMET MEHMEDOV

Set design and costumes TSVETANKA PETKOVA-STOYNOVA

 

About the work

 

     Manuel de Faya (1876-1946) was the most prominent representative of Spanish music in the 20th century. He is a national composer, a follower of the creative work of the founder of Spanish national music, Isaac Albenitz. His music is full of folk tunes and rhythms, mostly from Andalusia and Castile. Using the elements of Spanish folk music, the composer uses modern means mainly under the strong influence of French impressionism and later neoclassicism. He writes his works in an accessible, national spirit.
His works are masterfully orchestrated and shine with their colorful richness and variety. Many of them are widely known for processing for violin and cello with piano performed by violinists Fritz Chrysler, P. Kohanski, cellist M. Marechal and others.

    The premiere of the ballet Love Magic was performed on April 15, 1915, at the Lara Theater in Madrid and enjoyed modest success. In no time, however, the composer will be pleased: the subsequent two new productions of "Love Magic" in Madrid and Barcelona will delight both the critic and the audience. But the truest representation of the work, as conceived by de Faye, premiered in 1925 on the stage of the Trianon Lyric Theater in Paris, one night together with Stravinsky's The Soldier's History. Since then, Love Magic has been the focus of attention not only for the most distinguished choreographers but also for the greatest conductors and filmmakers.

    In Bulgaria, the ballet Love Magic was first staged on the stage of the Plovdiv Folk Opera in 1965. The choreography is by Dimo ​​Vrubel, conducted by Ivan Marinov, the set design is by Ioan Leviev. Violeta Burova dances as Candelas, Ilia Omayski is Carmelo, Eli Ivanova - Lucia, and Konstantin Moskov - The Ghost.

 

  "The modern world, humanity, live in a situation of tension and hatred, of aggression, loneliness, isolation, and indifference; devoid of passionate power, timidly ... in a seemingly devastating unrealistic reality. The love between people is totally absent. Hate reigns today, and it cannot sustain life. The magic of love is broken. This describes with epigrammatic accuracy the fundamental tragedy of modern man.

  The only thing we humans can and should do again is to work the magic of love together to live our days on this earth, given to us by the Supreme, communicating with each other, in harmony, in understanding ... with heart. "

Prof. Hikmet Mehmedov