55 years after its premiere, the Stuttgart Ballet revisits John Cranko’s legendary Romeo and Juliet – the very choreography which laid the foundations for the “Stuttgart Ballet Miracle”, the company’s meteoric rise to fame. In this anniversary performance of the stunning, timeless production, experienced Cranko-performers and highly talented young dancers share the stage to tell the most famous love story of all time. John Cranko, who led the Stuttgart Ballet from 1961 until his death in 1973, created the choreography of Romeo and Juliet especially for his ensemble. Set to the superb score by Sergei Prokofiev, William Shakespeare’s story about two star-crossed lovers, caught in their families’ feuds, offers dramatic roles for the top-notch soloists: Elisa Badenes shines as “youthful, fresh, entirely natural and spontaneous Juliet”, while her partner David Moore dances a Romeo who is “expressing his love with the greatest sensitivity” (Der Neue Merker).
Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra – 50 Years Anniversary Concert
The Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra can rightly claim to be one of the most authentic ensembles for interpreting the music of the Strauss dynasty. In 1966 – nearly 120 years after Johann Strauss I had founded the Strauss Orchestra, the great demand for high-quality interpretations of light music led a group of musicians in Vienna who belonged to the small ensemble of the Austrian Radio Orchestra to found the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra. The aim of new orchestra was to cultivate the music of the Strauss dynasty, together with so-called ‘light’ Viennese music. It was formed of fortytwo musicians, that it to say the ensemble was the same size as that which, according to authentic accounts, was preferred by the members of the Strauss family. With this festive concert from the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna the Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary!