Tchaikovsky: La Reine Morte (The Dead Queen) (Théâtre du Capitole)

Artjom Maksakov (Roi Ferrante); Maria Gutierrez (Dona Ines De Castro); Davit Galstyan (Don Pedro); Juliette Thelin (L'Infante); Takafumi Watanabe (Bouffon); Matthew Astley (Bouffon/Conseiller); Kayo Nakazato (Bouffonne/Mariée défunte); Caroline Betancourt (Bouffonne/Mariée défunte); Demian Vargas (Proche conseiller du roi);

Originally created for the Ballet du Capitole in 2011, La Reine morte is Kader Belarbi’s spectacular ballet, based on Montherlant’s play of the same name. The story follows Don Pedro, Prince of Portugal, who has fallen in love with Doña Inés de Castro, a lady-in-waiting of the Infanta – Pedro’s would-be wife. The sweethearts are married in secret, to the fury of the King, and the ensuing drama combines events in the real world with the two lovers’ dreams and visions. The ballet harks back to the classical style, but brings a refreshing new insight to the genre of the tragic love story. The choreography is set to a selection of pieces by the quintessential composer of ballet music, Tchaikovsky.

Reviews

"Set skilfully to various Tchaikovsky extracts, Kader Belarbi's ballet recreates a tragic and even bizarre episode of 14th century Portuguese history. Strikingly set and accessibly choreographed, the ballet offers a succession of striking visual images. The Toulouse company's performance, expertly captured in this recording, could hardly be bettered." (Musicweb International - Critic's choices for Pick of 2016)