Agentur für Ballett/Tanz und Bühne

Marco Goecke und "le Maitre des Esprits" Jeroen Verbruggen

proben für die Uraufführung von "Spectre de la rose" am 14. Juli 2009 in Monte Carlo

When “Spectre de la rose” by Mikhail Fokine was first performed in Monte Carlo in 1911, the piece was to become immediately a legend which continues to be woven today. The ballet is based on the music “Invitation to dance” by Carl Maria von Weber and is inspired by two lines of a poem by Théophile Gautier: “Je suis le spectre d'une rose que tu portais hier au bal”. It tells the story of a young girl who has returned from a ball. Falling asleep with a rose in her hand she dreams of the spirit of this rose, who appears jumping through the window, dances with her and eventually disappears before she wakes up.

Even though the plot as well as the scenery and the costumes by Léon Bakst are truly romantic, Fokine's “Spectre” is not a traditional romantic ballet. The choreographer implemented some very innovative ideas, for example by neglecting the classical port de bras and having the dancer who embodies the spirit of the rose wind his arms and hands around his head and face. With slightly buckled elbows, his hands and fingers form a petal and make him appear like an Art nouveau cirrus. Further, Fokine introduced the role of the male dancer in a revolutionary way. Instead of being a mere cavalier for the ballerina, the spirit has become the main character, while the girl is sleeping during a big part of the choreography. Unlike the romantic ballet, in Fokine's “Spectre” it is no longer the man who dreams about ethereal creatures but the woman who creates her ideal figure, the spirit of the rose.

This happened almost one hundred years ago. One hundred years, during which this piece in its original choreography has been and is still being performed all over the world and has become legendary. An important reason for the formation of the legend was surely the original cast, Tamara Karsavina and Waslav Nijinsky. Much has been said and written about this unique performance and Nijinsky's incredible springiness when performing the famous grand jeté. This grand jeté in combination with Weber's music has become a sort of dogma: for example, whenever this part the of music was played in Marco Goecke's rehearsals, all attendant dancers automatically and simultaneously performed Fokine's choreography and the jump, as if some strong spirit had forced them to move in an inevitable way. All later casts have been compared with Karsawina and Nijinsky. Some later couples, like the 31 year old Mikhail Baryshnikov and the 60 year old Margot Fonteyn who performed in Monte Carlo in 1979, have succeeded in becoming part of the legend and giving a new interpretation to the piece.

In 2009, Marco Goecke was commissioned to create his own version of “Spectre de la rose”. Unlike Maurice Béjart, who in 1979 created a persiflage on the original version, Goecke has chosen a grave approach. To the main couple he adds six auxiliary spirits. In addition to the original music he has chosen a second piece by Carl Maria von Weber, “The ruler of the spirits” (Le maître des esprits). So this new “Spectre” has not only become longer, but the main character, Jeroen Verbruggen, is given a chance to perform a version of the spirit which differs from the original version in many aspects, mainly by the music of the spirit's solo and by Marco Goecke's unique movement language. Even though that solo contains various jumps, they are neither high nor wide. Goecke's interpretation is everything but a tribute to romanticism. In many parts his choreography gives the impression of strength and sharpness, avoiding any kind of naturalism. There is no opulent scenery such as the girl's bedroom in Fokine's version, even if the costumes are inspired by Gautier's rose spirit and the dominant colour is red. Goecke's choreography breathes the inspiration of the poem, but leaves space for new interpretation.

From the perspective of their inventive force, however, both choreographies may be duly compared. Goecke, too, has developed a unique – maybe revolutionary – way of using the port de bras, constantly inventing new modes of moving the arms, changing positions incredibly quickly and creating new combinations. And like Fokine at his time, Goecke changes the relation between the male and the female role, this time giving them a new balance. Even though the spirit remains the main character, the woman, Natalie Nordquist, expresses an immense independence and strength in her performance.

Nadja Kadel

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(31.05.2009)

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