Performance review: Women

Romanian choreographer Gheorghe Iancu returns to the Bucharest National Opera stage with a performance that had its Romanian premiere in 2009, Women. The ballet is based on the work of Anton Chekhov, and depicts a complicated love story between a young woman, her husband and her lover. The show features Russian music by composers such as Serghei Rahmaninov, Dmitri Sostakovici, Igor Stravinski and Paul Hindemith, as well as traditional Russian songs.

At the premiere, Masha, the main character, was interpreted by Letizia Giuliani, the famous Italian ballet dancer, while the next editions will be staged by ballerinas Oana Babuska, Corina Dumitrescu, Bianca Fota, Bianca Stoicheciu. One of the main male characters was another special guest, Italian Amilcar Moret, who will be interpreted by Bogdan Canila, Robert Enache, Raul Oprea, Bogdan Plopeanu or Calin Radulescu.

“The revival of Gheorghe Iancu’s performance was definitely a gain, especially because it happens after the revival of another one of his works, “Swan Lake”. It is a special occasion, of which I am very glad, particularly because, 12 years from the world premiere, we are given the opportunity to see in the leading role Iancu’s muse, his source of inspiration, Letizia Giuliani”, said Razvan Ioan Dinca, the general Manager of Bucharest National Opera, about this new premiere.

The original choreography of the performance, devised in 2002 for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Theatre, won the Danza & Danza choreography award. The set design and costumes are the work of Luisa Spinatelli, an Italian designer familiar with Iancu’s performances. She was also responsible for the costumes for Swan Lake, another production staged at the Bucharest National Opera by Iancu.

The tale begins when a man enters an inn carrying a child in his arms. The owners, two unhappily-married couples, are curious as to why the man is traveling alone with an infant, especially one who looks so sad. The man decides to tell them his story, marking the beginning of the 90-minute performance.

The most intense moments of the performance are in the sixth scene, when Masha, stubborn and blinded by her love, she clings with all her force to The Lover, but he gets violent towards her. Masha is sent back to The Spouse. He, whose pride has been wounded, also reacts violently. Masha runs back to her Lover, begging him to take her by his side, but she is surprised by The Spouse, Masha being then abused by both of them.

But more than the story of the women’s emancipation through killing in the name of love and the fabulous interpretation of the artists, the viewer will be surprised by the Masha’s daughter performance. The kid appears from time to time to stage, imitating the adults’ behavior. In the end, the little one does as exactly what she saw at her mother, transforming the whole performance experience into a life lesson of how to raise your children.

The next performance is scheduled January 31, from 19.00, at Bucharest National Opera. For this show, dancers Letizia Giuliani and Amilcar Moret will be staged.

Oana Vasiliu