Birmingham Royal Ballet to Perform at London Coliseum in March 2015
By: Tyler Peterson Nov. 03, 2014
In honour of this dual birthday, the company will present an unmissable double bill during a limited season at the London Coliseum from March 19th to 21st. The eagerly anticipated programme will present Carmina burana, the revival of David Bintley's highly acclaimed, large-scale production which was the first piece he made for the company in 1995, and Serenade the 1934 piece made for students of the School of American Ballet by one of Bintley's personal heroes, George Balanchine.
Bintley's breathtaking choreography for Carmina burana is inspired by the satirical writings of medieval priests, and underpinned by Carl Orff's thrilling score. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia and English National Opera Chorus will perform along with the company giving audiences a rare opportunity to witness this most spectacular piece in Birmingham Royal Ballet's repertoire.
"I'd been thinking about Carmina burana ever since I heard the music when I was 17," says David Bintley. "When we were coming up to my opening night with Birmingham Royal Ballet, I didn't want to just creep in and do something nice and pretty. I wanted to do something that was a landmark; I was the boss so I allowed myself to have a choir which was a first! I wanted to get everybody in the company onstage, to present something really big and ambitious and to get everyone involved in something really daring. Carmina burana was born!"
The production hasn't been seen in the capital since its premiere at the Royal Opera House in 1996: "The nice thing about the Coliseum performances is that we have room for the full orchestra and choir. I'm very excited about bringing Carmina burana to the Coliseum in March - the public love it and it's one of the most popular pieces that we do. In a sense it has become a modern signature piece."
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