Encounters according to Alain Platel and Berlinde De Bruyckere
'Never was a shadow of a tree so delightful...', it sounds in Handel's famous aria Ombra mai fu. For their new production at Opera Ballet Flanders, Alain Platel and visual artist Berlinde De Bruyckere are inspired by the shadow of a tree as a meeting place, as a place where, all over the world and throughout history, people gather to rest, meet or discuss problems. De Bruyckeres poetic imagery seems a soul mate of Platel's universe. After the overwhelming success of C(H)ŒURS 2022, Platel once again invites the chorus members, dancers and orchestral musicians of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen to a creative dialogue. Together with singer and performer TK Russell and guest choreographers Mélanie Lomoff and Luis Marrafa, they will create the performance Ombra. Composer Steven Prengels develops a new orchestral score in which he weaves well-known classical masterpieces by Handel, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, among others, into new layers of meaning.
Thanks to Studium Generale, you can attend the pre-rehearsal, the second-to-last before the world premiere of this new creation. Afterwards, we'll chat with the creators about the themes and influences that led them to this final result.