echoes of VAN GOGH | His Majesty’s Theatre | Until 23rd Sept | ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
The West Australian Ballet has presented a bold and visually stunning new work echoes of VAN GOGH, which brings the romantic and tragic life of the impressionist painter to the stage.
This impressive new work had its world premiere on Friday night and cemented the era under Artistic Director Aurélien Scannella as one of the company’s most creative and productive phases.
When acclaimed Dutch choreographer Wubkje Kuindersma worked with the company is 2020 to create her work Architecture of Hope for their popular Ballet at the Quarry season Scannella asked her what she would choose if she had to opportunity to create a full-length work. She came back to him with a proposal for a ballet based around the work of painter Vincent Van Gogh.
It’s a work that brings together the iconic art of the master painter, a stunning musical score, and dance from a company at the top of their game.
Dutch-Italian composer Anthony Fiumara has created a beautiful soundtrack that hold the combination or art, movement and boldly coloured costumes together. Fiumara recently released an album on Philip Glass’s label Orange Mountain Music, and the influence of the minimal composer is obvious in his work. Let’s hope a recording of the score for this ballet is recorded and released in the future because it’s simply stunning.
The staging features a curved backdrop, projected on to it are works of art by the painter. They move slightly both within the projection and via the curtain’s movement as dancers enter and exit the space, allowing the iconic paintings to join in the dance.
The costumes echo the colours of the paintings, and like Van Gogh’s creative journey through life at first things are more subdued and later become filled with vibrant hues.
Ludovico Di Ubaldo took on the starring role as the troubled painter, while Juan Carlos Osma portrayed his supportive brother Theo. Alexa Tuzil was Theo’s wife Jo, while Oscar Valdés was fellow painter Paul Gauguin.
Kuindersma’s modern choreography is fresh and intriguing to watch. Much of the narrative surrounds the relationship between the artists and his supportive brother which leads to many pas de deux between Di Ubaldo and Osma.
As we progress through Van Gogh’s life his mental health deteriorates but his creativity and artistic output increases, something the two dances admirably portray with a great deal of nuance.
In the second half of the work, as the painters style solidifies and his most famous and vibrant works are created, the corresponding movement masterfully mimics the progression. The dancers become the paint on the canvas, dressed in dramatic cobalt and sunshine yellow.
As the dart and swirl around the stage it’s easy to imagine the artist’s paintbrush striking the canvas, pulling and pushing paint across it fabric. Taking you to that very moment in the late nineteeth century when Wheatfield with Crows, or Sunflowers, or The Starry Night came into existence.
The works of Van Gogh are on display through the piece, large screens drop down and showcase many of his most famous paintings. It’s an element which maybe wasn’t needed, the backdrop already contains a representation of his painting and I found this more abstract presentation more engaging. The inclusion of whole works felt like a little clunky in the staging.
Echoes of VAN GOGH is at His Majesty’s Theatre until 23rd September.
Graeme Watson, Images Bradbury Photography.
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