Richard Wherlock’s full-length ballet «Tevye» premiered on November 20, 2015 at the Basel State Theater. The masterful modern narrative ballet was an instant success.
Tevye is forced to watch as his family falls apart and his home is taken away. Yet he never loses his faith in God and his truly irrepressible humour. This story, made popular by the hit musical «Fiddler on the Roof» («Anatevka»), serves as a memorial to the lost world of the shtetl. No nostalgic romanticism or prettified idylls distort its view of the bitter reality of life for the Jews of Eastern Europe and the catastrophes which began to loom on the horizon at the beginning of the 20th century: revolutions, pogroms and banishment.
Richard Wherlock transposes the story of the moving hero from Sholem Aleichem’s classic of Yiddish literature and re-tells it through dance. Joy, suffering and the pains of love all find expression here as does the theme of tradition, handing down beliefs, rituals and customs which at that time and in that place repeatedly provokes people to revolt against stifling convention.
Wherlock’s style of contemporary dance blends with the exhilarating and moving music of Olivier Truan, who has written the newly created full orchestra score for «Tevye». Truan composes fascinating and stylistically open music which combines Jewish musical traditions and Eastern European styles with jazz improvisations and the unique sound of his quintet Kolsimcha.
Coupled with this thrilling music, Richard Wherlock’s ballet «Tevye» promises a whirlwind of dancing virtuosity, exuberant pleasure and surprising moments of beauty.
An evening of world class dance and music, not to be missed!
Since their formation in 1986, the unique sound of Kolsimcha has captivated and enthralled the demanding audiences at New York’s Carnegie Hall and London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall as well as those at the most renowned jazz, classical and world music festivals on three continents.
Through their original musical language, sheer enthusiasm and virtuosity, they create a concert atmosphere unlike any other group. It is guaranteed to have the listeners cheering on their feet.
Hailed by the LA Times as the «fantastic five», this incredible ensemble pairs a front line of clarinet and flute with a super tight rhythm section of acoustic bass, drums and piano to create a groundbreaking mix of thrilling jazz improvisations, dazzling symphonic sounds and exotic Mediterranean melodies alternating with poignant ballads and sensuous Eastern European rhythms.
Their music has been described as everything from «a new world music» (The Independent) to «anatomically impossible» (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). As well as appearing at most of the major European venues and festivals, Kolsimcha has provided the music for celebrated international theatre, dance and movie productions.
The original CD of the music to the ballet Tevye with the klezmer band Kolsomcha and symphony orchestra is available from the Apple Music Shop.
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