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meteordustLast month, I saw Spartacus by the Australian Ballet at the Sydney Opera House. It was only the second ballet I'd ever seen.
They did a great job of telling the story through dance. Especially the fight scenes as dance moves, including gladiatorial combat. They did provide a synopsis, which was helpful, since it's been ages since I read the book or watched the movie.
The imagery was powerful and universal, like imperial Rome represented by red flags and a giant statue of a hand pointed at the sky. The staging was simple and effective, like the mass executions represented by people standing on tall blocks, heads bowed, torsos drenched in red.
It has a downbeat ending, because that's the history of the rebellion. Flavia alone survives to carry the message of hope into the future.
Interestingly, when the ballet was first produced, the Soviet regime approved, because it saw itself as the rebellion, and the imperialists as Rome. But the composer may have thought differently, like many artists who suffered persecution under the regime. From the program book:
Like many denounced artists, Khachaturian used subtle elements of his work to get back at the regime. While the Soviets chose to interpret the story of Spartacus in a way that was flattering to them, the music that Khachaturian chose to represent Crassus, the oppressor, was also symbolic of the kind of music used in the big Soviet military parades to represent the power of the state.
And yeah, it really hits me that this story of rebellion against tyranny - events from over 2000 years ago - is still so relevant today, and keeps being retold. I guess that means its message of hope in dark times still endures.
They did a great job of telling the story through dance. Especially the fight scenes as dance moves, including gladiatorial combat. They did provide a synopsis, which was helpful, since it's been ages since I read the book or watched the movie.
The imagery was powerful and universal, like imperial Rome represented by red flags and a giant statue of a hand pointed at the sky. The staging was simple and effective, like the mass executions represented by people standing on tall blocks, heads bowed, torsos drenched in red.
It has a downbeat ending, because that's the history of the rebellion. Flavia alone survives to carry the message of hope into the future.
Interestingly, when the ballet was first produced, the Soviet regime approved, because it saw itself as the rebellion, and the imperialists as Rome. But the composer may have thought differently, like many artists who suffered persecution under the regime. From the program book:
Like many denounced artists, Khachaturian used subtle elements of his work to get back at the regime. While the Soviets chose to interpret the story of Spartacus in a way that was flattering to them, the music that Khachaturian chose to represent Crassus, the oppressor, was also symbolic of the kind of music used in the big Soviet military parades to represent the power of the state.
And yeah, it really hits me that this story of rebellion against tyranny - events from over 2000 years ago - is still so relevant today, and keeps being retold. I guess that means its message of hope in dark times still endures.
