///Opera

photo by Herman Sorgeloos


We went to the Opera today and saw the ballet "Rain". The music was otherworldly. The strings and vocalists set up harmonic overtones that lasted uninterrupted for an hour and a half. Four xylophones played triads over this and four pianos augmented and diminished everyone else. Every now and then the roles of percussion and piano would change to where the piano then switched everything to perfects while accenting in syncopation. Pure Bliss.

"
Created in 2001 for the Rosas dance company, Rain now enters the Paris Opera Ballet repertoire and may already be regarded as one of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's major works. 

The Flemish choreographer invites the dancers to weave a close relationship with the music, their organic movements rooted in Steve Reich's minimalist "Music for 18 Musicians", performed by the Ictus Ensemble. 

A powerful, stripped-down work of great sensitivity by a key figure of contemporary dance. 

Steve Reich, Music
Music For 18 Musicians
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Choregraphy
Jan Versweyveld, Set and lighting
Dries Van Noten, Costumes

The Étoiles, Principal Dancers and Corps de Ballet
Ensemble Ictus
Georges-Elie Octors Conductor

"

Now it is raining in Paris.

Underworld is on my mind.

"People are squinting to block out the sun complaining or soaking it up, praying for rain the next minute for a scorched earth what's it worth, enough is never enough, let's have a little moan put the world to rights, sit back and watch it all slide by it's a view from a train, pay somebody else to drive see the suits, I see the suits sunning themselves on the steps of the supermarket and I think of you when I'm alone like this burning from the inside. "


-Karle Hyde; Underworld