Nijinsky, Ballet by John Neumeier
The Vienna State Opera presents John Neumeier's powerfully choreographed ballet, Nijinsky, depicting the life and art of one of the greatest names in dance. By setting to dance fragments of memories, dream sequences and historical events in the life of Vaslav Nijinsky, the ballet tells the story of this complex Russian ballet icon. An American choreographer and director, Neumeier has held a lifelong fascination for the visionary aspects of Nijinsky and this work represents something of a fulfilment of his enduring admiration for the so-called 'God of Dance'.
Nijinsky premiered on 2 July 2000 when it was first performed by the Hamburg Ballet, where Neumeier was then serving as the company's director and principal choreographer. Neumeier's storytelling begins with a scene at the Suvretta House Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This is where Nijinsky, who was already long established as one of the greatest figures in ballet, gave his final public performance on 19 January 1919. What Neumeier recreates for audiences, however, is not a pale imitation of Nijinsky's last dance. Instead, he reimagines the feelings, thoughts and emotional aspects that the great dancer would have gone through as he performed for the final time. The opening scene, therefore, offers a way for audiences to glimpse more than the mere balletic prowess of the man, providing them with a visual representation of what drove him to such greatness.
Throughout the ballet, the choreography blends life events with imagination and psychological drama. In Part II, the ballet turns to periods of stress and even mental instability, including choreographed passages that depict Nijinsky's schooldays, his famous premiere of the ballet Le Sacre du printemps, an event which caused a scandal at the time, and the brutality of the First World War. Neumeier's choreography gives insights into the dancer's state of mind as the world shifts around him, not least through world events and the discovery of his wife's infidelity.
The ballet makes use of several composers' works, namely Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann and two of Nijinsky's Russian contemporaries, Dmitri Shostakovich and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 brings a tense, modern intensity that reflects something of Nijinsky’s psychological inner turmoil. Rimsky-Korsakov’s work, Scheherazade, meanwhile, evokes rich orchestral colour and a sense of theatrical grandeur, the ideal choice for representing the early work of the Ballets Russes, of which Nijinsky was a star, so vividly.
John Neumeier's ballet, Nijinsky, at the Wiener Staatsoper represents a superb opportunity to witness a rich and visually striking portrait of one of ballet's greatest names brought to life through an expressive fusion of music and movement.