Peer Gynt
Ballett by Edward Clug
After the drama of the same name by Henrik Ibsen
Music by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Swiss Premiere
Introduction 45 min before the performance.
Introductory matinee on 25 Apr 2021.
Partner Ballett Zürich
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Peer Gynt
Abstract
Peer Gynt
Henrik Ibsen found the inspiration for his 1867 closet drama Peer Gynt in Peter Christen Asbjørnsen’s Norwegian closet drama. Its success soon led the playwright to create a stage version, for which he commissioned Edvard Grieg to compose the incidental music. The play had its premiere in Christiania, today's Oslo, in 1876.
Having already made a name for himself here with his spectacular readings of Le Sacre du printemps and Faust – Das Ballett, Slovenian choreographer Edward Clug makes his return to Zurich. Premiered in 2015 at the Slovenian National Ballet in Maribor under his direction, his Peer Gynt presents itself as a visually stunning, enigmatic fantasy spectacle – a modern narrative ballet inspired by surrealism, absurdity, and irony. Clug combines the versions of Ibsen and Grieg to create a special dance experience. He not only uses the two well-known Peer Gynt Suites, but complements them with Grieg's String Quartet in G minor op. 27, the Piano Concerto in A minor op. 16, and selections from the Lyric Pieces.
Using striking scenes, Clug tells the story of Peer Gynt, the farmer's son, who cheats his way through the world with tall tales, in an effort to escape reality. In Peer’s fantasy world, his father’s run-down dwelling is a glittering palace, and he romanticizes his own escapades, turning them into heroic deeds. His quest for love and adventure takes him not only to a world of trolls and demons, but also to the Orient, and to a madhouse. When Peer Gynt finally returns home, he must even fight for his soul, which he is only allowed to keep thanks to his beloved Solvejg.