Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker | Ruhrfestspiele 2025

by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Radouan Mriziga, Amandine Beyer / Rosas, A7LA5, Gli Incogniti
Choreography: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Radouan Mriziga
Music: Antonio Vivaldi, Le quattro stagioni Amandine Beyer, Gli Incogniti

"Il Cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Inventione" is the latest work by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Together with choreographer Radouan Mriziga, the renowned Belgian choreographer takes a close look at one of the most interpreted works of classical music: Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons". For the first time in Germany, this impressive evening of dance will be accompanied live by violinist Amandine Beyer and her highly virtuoso ensemble Gli Incogniti, who will bring Vivaldi's masterpiece to life on period instruments.

In their choreography, De Keersmaeker and Mriziga explore patterns and structures that can be found both in nature and in music. The central questions are: How can this often-played music be heard and experienced in a new way? And can it still tell us something new today? The evening reflects not only on Vivaldi's music, but also on mankind's changing relationship with nature and the changes brought about by the climate crisis. Do we still have the four seasons today as Vivaldi once experienced them in his Mediterranean homeland?

In dialog with Vivaldi's moving music, the dancers unfold a multifaceted movement repertoire of impressive beauty. The result is a multi-layered choreography that is humorous and poetic, austere and emotional at the same time. "Il Cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Inventione" thus combines the characteristic musicality and geometric clarity for which De Keersmaeker's works are known with a new perspective on Vivaldi's timeless composition. The result is an impressive experience that not only celebrates the beauty of nature and music, but also emphasizes their vulnerability. The performance is thought-provoking: about nature, time and cultural contexts - and about how the music of yesterday can help us understand the pressing issues of today.

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